
'"oo^ 













TRAVELS 

/ 

IN 



AMERICA, ^ 

PERFORMED IN IW6, 

Tor the Purpose of exploring thb 

RIVERS 

ALLEGHANY, MONONGAIIELA, OHIO, AND 
MISSISSIPPI, 

AND 

Ascertaining the PRODUCE and CONDITION 

OF 

THEIR BANKS AND VICINITT. 



By THOMAS ASHE, Esq. ^„ , ^^ ^ 



London : PRiNTF.n. 

ne-wburrport-^re-printed for willi am sawyer & co. 

By Edmund M. Bi.unt, State-Street. 

1808. 



PREFACE. 



I 



T is universally acknowledged, that no description of 
writing comprehends so much amusement and entertain- 
ment as well written accounts of voyages and travels, espe- 
cially in countries little known. If the voyages of a Cook 
and his followers, exploratory' of the South Sea Islands, 
and the travels of a Bruce, or a Park, in the interior re- 
gions of Africa, have merited and obtained celebrity, the 
work now presented to the public cannot but claim a sim- 
ilar merit. The western part ot America, become inter- 
esting in ever}^ point of view, has been little knoUn, ami 
misrepresented by the few writers on the subject, led by 
motives of interebt or traffic, and has not heretofore Lcrn 
exhibited in a satisfactory manr.er. jMr, Ahhc, tlic autlior 
of the present work, and who has now returned to Ameri- 
ca, here gives an account every way satisfactory. With 
all the necessary acquirements, he went on an exploratory 
journey, with the sole view of examining this interesting 
country; and his researches, delivered in the familiarstile 
of letters, in which he carries the reader along with him, 
cannot fail to interest and inform the politician, the states- 
man, the philosopher, and antiquary. He explains the de- 
lusions that have been held up by fanciful or partial wri- 
ters as to the country, by which so many individuals have 
been misled ; he furnishes to the naturalist a variety of in- 
teresting information ; and to the antiquary he presents 
objects of absolute astonishment ; the Indian antiquities 
of the western world, here first brought forward ^o the 
public, must create admiration. It will be seen that the 
fallen race who now inhabit America are the successors of 
men who have been capable of architectural and other 
work, that would do honour to any people or any age ; 
and the remarkable antiquities which he describes cannot 
but induce a still more minute enquiry and investigation 
ef objects of so great importance. 

[English Editor.] 



CONTENTS. 



LETl^ER I. 

General character of the north-eastern States of America— -of the middle 
States— 'the southern— Town of Pittsburg— Alleghany mountains — Lan- 
caster — The Susquehanna— Harrisburg, Shippensburg, and Stratsburg 
'—interesting account of a tavern and its occupiers-Bedford — Sublijn- 
ity and horrors of a night passed in ajoreat — Thoughts on natural hiS' 
tory—St. Pierre. 

LETTER II. 

5wn-rjsg in a deep valley— ^Breakfast at an inn— 'American forests gene- 
rally free from underwood— The Author kills a large bear in the forest : 
its deliberate precaution on being shot— An Indian camp ; gradual ex- 
pulsion of the Indians into the interior, and their approximate exter- 
wination — Grandeur and beautiful tints of an autumnal scene— Lau- 
rel-hill — Delightful vale leading to- Pittsburg — Expeuces at the Ameri- 
can inns— Comfort a term of very various application, 

LEri'ER m. 

Situation and description of Pittsburg — its mamfactories, ship-building, 
and population — State of education here— Character and Persons of the 
Ladies — Religious sects — Schools — Market lio use, and prices ifprovi'- 
sions — Price ofland-Auiuicinents. 

LETTER IV. 

The subject of emigration from Britain considered — History of an emi- 
grant farmer — Kentucky peopled by a pufHug publication— Lord Sel-^ 
kirk's colonizations— District least pernicious for emigrants. 

LETTER V. 

Morgaritown — The Monoiigahela River — Cheat River and George's Creek 
'—S'ew Geneva, and Greensburg — Brownsville — Williurns port — Eti- 
zuheth. town — Mackee's port, and Braddock's defeat — An Indian for- 
tificd camp described — An interesting object discovered near it— An- 
cient Indian barrowS) or burial places— -Remains of arms, utensils and 
insiruments. 

LETTER VL 

Town of Erie — Description of the Alleghany Pdver — Trade on it — Its riic 
(Old progress — Towns and other remaikuble places in. its course — lVa~ 
terford, and Journey thence to Mcadville — Big-sngar-creek, and Frank- 
lin — Montgomerys falls — Ewalt's defeat — Frtcporl — Sandy creek— 
The navigation of the Alleghany dangerous — Bituminous well — Alledged 
virtues of the water of the river — nan da r go Lake, and salt springs 
round it — Fondness of the aniru.tls here for salt— Bujf aloes ; interest- 
ing narrative respecting the dcstr}iction of those animals- -Destruction 
of deer — Birds freciucnting the saline waters — Doves — Unhealihiuess 
of the climate and cautions on that subject— The mo&t salubrious sit- 
uations— Details of the manner in which the commerce of the two riv- 
trs is conducted^— Lotinoise circuitous Jouriieii ]icrformed bij those chief- 
ly engaged in it—Every tiling done without money— A store described, 
and its abuses— Anecdote. 

LETTER Vn. 

Traces of a i^cneral deluye — Other great natav.d pheunmcna, difficult to 
bx: accounted j'or—Pecul.i ar w;n.it::s ef thi vrg:t..bic and of the f[>ssii> 
A 2 , 



hingdom-^List of natice plants classed into medicinal, esculent, emct* 
mental, and useful — Vegetable products of the earth-^Importunt ir> 
qairies and suggestions concerning some of them — Abundance of vegeta-^. 
hie and of mineral productions here, which might be turned to great 
account if projjerly explored— American warnurs-'— statesman, and de* 
hates in Co7igress — divines, lawyers, physicians, and philosophers-^ 
Bxiffon's assertion correct, that both man and inferior animals degenc* 
rate in America. 

LETTER VIII. 

General view of the River Ohio, and its beauties-— -its advantage— itt 
course— its isUinds — its depth and navigation — its obstricctions might, 
easily be removed— -Advice to persons loishing to descend the Ohio. 
LETTER IX. 

proper season to descend the Ohio — a Monongahela, or Kentucky boat de- 
scribed— Conjiuence of the Monongahela and Alleghany waters — Sub- 
lime scenery — Hamilton's island— Ji win's island — difficulties in the- 
course—Hogs' and Crows' islands — JMackintosh's fiwn — Warren's town- 
—Young's town — Grape island — its iidiuhititnts — cause and manner of 
their settlement — its grape-vines — George town— a spri')ig producing an. 
oil similar to Seneca oV^— experiments to discover its cause— deductions 
fvom'them. 

LETTER X. 

Course of the Ohio to Stuhenville — Custard island — Stuhenville — Congress, 
lands— Indian honourable confederacy — Insidiwus means of sojne ill 
disposed whites to possess the country and exterminate its inhabitants-^ 
the Indians becDme undeceived, and resume the great federal tomahawk. 
They put to death many of their cruel invaders, who place themselves- 
under the protection of Congress, and receive its support— Events of an 
Indian lour — Feace restored — its terms— F'liesse of Congress to possess 
the Indian lands — Hence arose the Korth-ivest territory, now the Ohio 
State— The subject of Congress lauds continued — nature of their sales, 
and price of these lands — their great prof t to land-jobbers— increase of 
poputution of the Stale— a Dutch purchaser, his sentiments after expe- 
rience. 

LETTER XL 

Charlestoivn — Vieioits taste in building to the river— copied from Philadel' 
phin— its punishment — Navigation from Charlestown to IVheeling — this- 
port toiDii described—its origin — sketch of the inhabitanti and their 
propensities— a Virginian horse-race — a boxing-iaalch—A ball and sup-i 
per — f/ic Siquel—u pathetic stori/.j 

LETTER XI I. 

J mail coach road from Philadelphia to Lexington in Kentucky, seven 
hundred miles — ucrommodations on the road — enchanting valley and 
creeks—'their origin — history of thejirst settlement (f Cooundanaga by 
Irish emigrants — its Judicious regulcitions — Mr. Filzpatrick its head — •' 
twinntr oj' passing Sundtnj in ihir, Utile republic — general situation of 
iti inhabitunts — Long lieach — Indian imitations cf animals. 

LEITER XIII. 

Sags — night and day currents, their variation, advantages ajid disadvan- 
t'fgcs — Indian practical pftilosophy — a sublime prospect — an interesting 
breakfast — sittleincnt of the banks of Long Reach — description of them 
-^pusiage to McrieLlU'^u dangerous full'- Little Muskingum Pdver-— 



(vii) 

Marietta, a flourishing toton deserted'~^Mp building and commerciai 
enterprize — has the only church from Pittsburg, one hundred and eigh- 
ty miles distant— -4he laws strictly enforced— -its tradesmen, generals, 
colonels, majors, ^c. 

LETTER XIV. 

J^Iarietta—'an inundation-yFort Harmer—Indian antiqidtieS'—'Be a lover 
of truth, the maxim, of the Western world— Indian tradition— an anec^ 
dote— an excursion— the Muskingum River— a prospect— discovery of 
a vault— a beautiful tesselated pavemt^iit and other remarkable remains, 
of' Indian antiquity — large human skeleton and other curious antiques- 
•—the depository remains of a chief in ancient times— the author^s re- 
tnarks on these remains of antiquity— 'predelection of the Indians for 
tall and robust chiefs—wild turkeys. 

LETTER XV. 

Indian i7icantations and charms — priests— their extraordinary knowledge 
and gifts— interesting explanation of the cause — very remarkaUe anti- 
quities — encounter with a rattle snake, which is killed— deer— .wild 
turkeys — Lanesvelle — farther very remote and grand antiquities — gold' 
ai treasure found— 'the bubble bursts. 

LETTER XVL 

Little Kenhaway River— Belleprie — Bacchus' s Island— fine view ofit— 
the house — its elegant and interesting inhabitants— a rural evenincr and 
supper-Big Hockhocking River— New Lancaster town — its sudden rise 
and as sudden decline by a contagious sickness — Dutch cupidity and its^ 
consequences — Belleville town and Island — the Devil's Creek— LetarVa 
Fulls-^danger of passing them, especially in the night— Campaign 
Creek— Point Pleasant, a handsome little town. 

LETTER XVIL 

Farther particulars of the great Kenhaway River — Lead mines — attro- 
cious massacre of Indians, the family of tlie celebrated Logan, the friend 
of the whites—its consequences— the battle of Point Pleasant — the speech 
of Logan — catalogue of Indian birds— character of the Mocking bird 
and the Virginia Nightingale. 

LETTER XVin. 

Galliopolis, a French Settlement — Historical account of its rise, progress, 
and fall — its present miserable state. 

LETl'ER XIX. 

Various rivers and creeks — saxc mills — n fine salt spring andan Indian 
pottery — Great Sandy Creek — central situation of its mouth — erroneous 
accounts of Kentucky — corrected — extravagant price of lands — an eX' 
cursion — vestiges of the remains of a Chief of uncommon size — game — 
wild hogs — remainsifan Indian village — an alarm — explained-^wohes 
hunting their prey. 

LETTER XX. 

Settlement of the French families removed from Galliopolis — their mode of 
Life and domesticated animals — a French rural repast and dance — navi- 
gation to Alexandria — account of the town and its vicinage — Ports- 
mouth — The Scioto river — Chilicothe, principal town of the Ohio State 
— difiicult access to it — The Fickauec Plains — a grand situation for a^ 
capital — Antiquities of Chilicothe and barbai-ous taste of the iuhabhants 
— the Governor, his woriliy character — slavery entirely abolished^iis 
beneficial eJfu'tsS^ilt springs^-^Run to Muysville.. 



( vili ) 
LETTER XXI. 

31aysville or Limestone town — Liberty Town-— interior of Kentiic'ky-^de-' 
ceitful prospect— Washington— May's Lick, a salt spring-^alt Licks, 
why so called — the Blm Lick — Miilersburgh — Paris. 

LETTER XXn. 

Lexington flescribed-~churches—'unioersity'-'amusements — concerts and 
balls — the inhabitants, male and female — trade— ~thc merchants, their 
great wealth— the market— expence of boarding— the town likely to 
decrease— climate — fevers— their causes — soil — farms, produce, ^'C.— 
a catacomb with mummies— manner of embalming. 

LETTER XXIIL 

Excellent navigation between Limestone and Cincinnati— Aiigusta—th& 
Little Miami of the Ohio-— Columbia — Licking River — Cincinnati- 
details of this important town — interesting anecdote of a lady. 

LETTER XXIV. 

Cincinnati— built on the site of an ancient hidian settlement — an asion^ 
ishing curiosity— other antiqitlties—fne paintings. 

LETTER XXV. 

An excursion to the country of the Miam is— Lebanon town^— interesting 
sect of Quakers — cintinuance of the excursion— horses of the Western 
country — state of farming in tiie neighbourhood. 

LETTER XXVL 

Dayton town, its fine situation— a snake or snapping tortoise— timber of 
this country^—the sugar maple — an Indian camp. 

LETrER XXVIL 

Dayton— a rich and fine country — trees, shrubs, and fiowers— -humming 
birds — Mad River — situatioii of the inhabitants on its batiks— the Great 
Miami— Hamilton town. 

LETTER XXVIIL 

Judge Symmes''s nsidencc, an elegant mansion in a charming situation-^ 
his family, ^-c, — Indian territory — Bigbone Lick — Grant's Lick, its 
excellent salt — ISlitre, caves, and hills — Frankfort the capital of Kcw 
tucky — Kentucky River — its magnificent hanks— antiquities— Lc^tiS' 
xille — passage of the Falls — a terrific scene. 

LETTER XXIX. 

Excursion from Loxdsville — view of the country and its productions — 
Kcntuckyan mode of life — medicinal herbs-r-birds — list of snakes— rC' 
rnurkuble mockiug bird — a rich vale — Beardstown. 

LETTER XXX. 

Jefferson's town a7id ?anal — Clarkisville — general view of the river twa 
hundred and seventy-two miles down — lloulersoji's town — Diu)nond 
Island. 

LETTER XXXL 

Jiemnrkable cave — Vengeance of the Illinois on the Kentuckyans— Wilson* s 
gang — pariicular dtscrlplion of tic care — hijeroghiphics. 

LETTER XXXfL 

iJurricanc Island — a violent hurricane — Cumberland /i/crr — the Tenas- 
see State — its produce, commerce, c^-c. — Indian tribes— Tcnasse'e River 
—the whirl — Shuwahee Villnge, an Inaian settlement— its inhabitants 
—intercsihv'y^ chura<:Leri$ties and hahlta— Indian gallantries — Hong if 
Logan — Sliawanec practice of physk — jugglers various customs — war- 
■ri'ige and divorce^— other hubU:^ and traits of the Hhawancc charucier. 



(ix) 
LETTER XXXIII. 

Massae fort"— the commandant's successful means of preventing ditense-^ 
Entrance of the Mississppi — a view of that immense river — fit. Charles, 
Bon-honime, and New Versailles villages— -Osage, Kanous, and other 
Indian nations — Kaskaskia river and town — Kuhokia village— ^Illinois 
river— other rivers Joining the Mississippi. 

LEITKR XXXIV. 

Louisiana — its history — progress through the country — Cape Farida— 
Hopple Creek—St. Genevieve — Lead Mines— St. Louis Town—The 
Valley of Bones — Confluence of the 3Iessnuri and Mississipjn, 

LETTER XXXV. 

Mississippi River— An evergreen species of Plane Tree— 'A curious Ca- 
vern— Chalk Bank — Bajeau de "abe—Neio Madrid— Little Frairie—^ 
€hick:tsaw Bluf's—A hurricane. 

LETTER XXXVL- 

River St. Francis — Mule River — effects of thunder storms— attack of art 
allegator — Orkansas River— Ozark Village— Indians— their adoration 
to the sun— their hymns. 

LETTER XXXVIL 

The Grand Lake— Islands of tlie Mississippi— a remarkable alarm pro' 
daced by the cries of a host of alligators— interesting particulars of 
these animals — Yazaus River— the Walnut Hills and Forts Machenrymm, 
the Grand Gulph—Bayeau Pierre, tht residence of Col, Bruin. 

ll:tter XXXVI iL 

Natchez River-^its trade and luxury^— territory of the Mississippi—Nat- 
chez Indians — their adorations. 

LETTER XXXIX. 

Fort Adams — General Wilkinson — Riviere Rouge — Several settlements 
with their trade and produce — Chaffalis Baijeau— Tunica Bayeau and 
Villages— Point Coupee church — a rich settlement — Bayeau Sacra— ^ 
Thompson's Creek — Baton Rouge— Bayeau Manchee — Bayeau de la 
Fourchi — Alacapas and Opclousas settlements— fine breed of horses and 
cattle— heaithy climate^^sugar plantatio)is — Bona Cara settlement- 
account of the river from New-Orleans to the sea. 

LET! ER XL. 

New Orleans — particulars of this important city and its environs-^NeV} 
Madrid, and intended city on an excellent and Salubrious situation, 

LETFER XLI. 

The religion and commerce of New Orleans. 

LETTER XLII. 
Farther particulars of New Orkans-^its amusementi and inhdhitantst 



TRAVELS IN AMERICA. 



I.ETTER I. 

General character erf^ the north-eastern States of America : — - 
of the middle States : — the southern. Town of Pittsburg, 
Mleghany mountains. Lancaster. The Susquehanna. 
Harrisburg. Shippenshurg, and Strashurg, Interesting 
account of a tavern and its occupiers. Bedford. Sub- 
limit y and horrors of a night passed in a forest. Thoughts 
on natural history :- — St. Pierre. 

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, October, 1806. 
DEAR SIR, 

I THOUGHT that you knew my heart too well, to 
attribute my silence to a decay of affection ; and I had 
hopes that you entertained too just an opinion of my head, 
to expect from me extraordinary discoveries in philosophy 
or politics. At the same time, I hope to convince you 
that my supposed neglect has operated to the advantage of 
my correspondence. 

The American states through which I have passed, are 
unworthy of your observation. Those to the north-east 
are indebted to nature for but few gifts : they are better 
adapted for the business of grazing than for corn. The 
climate is equally subject to the two extremes of burning 
heat and excessive cold ; and bigotry, pride, and a malig- 
nant hatred to the mother country, characterize the inhab- 
itants. The middle States are less contemptible : they 
produce grain for exportation ; but wheat requires much 
labour, and is liable to blast on the sea-shore. The na- 
tional features here are not strong, and those of different 
emigrants have not yet composed a face of local deformi- 
ty : we still see the liberal English, the ostentatious Scotch, 
the warm-hearted Irish, the penurious Dutch, the proud 
German, the solemn Spaniard, the gaudy Italian, and the 
profligate French. What kind of character is hereafter to 
arise from an amalgamation of such discordant materials, 
lam at a loss to conjecture. 



12 TRAVELS IN 

For the southern States, nature has done much, but man 
little. Society is here in a shameful degeneracy : an ad- 
ditional proof of the pernicious tendency of those detesta- 
ble principles of political licentiousness, which are not only' 
adverse to the enjoyment of practical liberty, and to the 
existence of regular authority, but destructive also of com- 
fort and security in every class of society ; doctrines here 
found by experience, to make men turbulent citizens, a- 
bandoned Christians, inconstant husbands, unnatural fath- 
ers, and treacherous friends. I shun the humiliating de- 
lineation, and turn my thoughts to happier regions which 
afford contemplation without disgust; and where mankind, 
scattered in small associations, are not totally depraved 
or finally corrupt. Under such impressions, I shall write 
to you with pleasure and regularity ; trusting to your be- 
lief, that my propensity to the cultivation of literature has 
not been encouraged in a country w^here sordid specula- 
tors alone succeed, where classic fame is held in derision, 
where grace and taste are unknown, and where the or- 
naments of style are condemned or forgotton. Thus 
guarding you against expectations that I should fear to 
disappoint, I proceed to endeavour at gratifying the curi- 
osity which my raniblings excite in your mind. 

The town of Pittsburg* is distant rather more than 300 
miles from Philadelphia : of which space 150 miles are a 
continued succession of mountains, serving as a barrier a- 
gainst contending seas ; and as a pregnant source of many 
waters, which take opposite directions, and after fertiliz- 
ing endless tracts and enriching various countries, are lost 
in the immensity of the Mexican Gulf and the Atlantic 
Ocean. Knowing the road to be mountainous and stony, 
I preferred travelling on horseback to going in a stage- 
coach, that is seven or eight days on the road ; and the 
fare in which, for the whole journey, is twenty dol- 
lars. The first sixty miles were a turnj)ike road ; and my 
horse, which cost me only eighty dollars, arrived tolera- 
bly fresh at the end of them in twelve hours. 

The place at which I stopped was Lancaster, the coun- 
ty- town of Pennsylvania. The inhabitants are chiefly 
Dutch and Irish, or of Dutch and Irish extraction : they 
manufacture excellent rillc-guns and other hardware, 

* Situated in latitude 40" 26 nortli, and longitude 79** 4S' wcit 
fiom London. i 



AMERICA. 13 

Tlie town is large, clean, and well built : but in spite of 
these attractions, I quitted it the next morning by sun- 
rise. Dr. Johnson was never more solicitous to leave 
Scotland than I was to be out of the Atlantic States. 

In hurrying along the next day, my career was inter- 
rupted by the rapid Susquehanna. The peevishness and 
dissatisfaction which before possessed me were now com- 
pelled to yield to contrary sensations. The breadth and 
beauty of the river, the height and grandeur. of its banks, 
the variation of scenery, the verdure of the forests, the 
murmur of the water, and the melody of birds, all 
conspired to iill my mind with vast and elevated concep- 
tions. 

Harrisburg a handsome Dutch town, stands on the east 
bank of this river. I did not stop however, but pursued my 
course to Carlisle ; which has a college, and the reputa- 
tion of a place of learning. This may be so, but, I have 
the misfortune to dispute it; for though indeed I saw an 
old brick building called Me university-, in which the schol- 
ars had not left a whole pane of glass, I did not meet a 
man of decent literature in the town. I found a few 
who had learning enough to be pedantic and impudent in 
the society of the vulgar, but none who had arrived at 
that degree of science which could delight and instruct the 
intelligent. 

Having thus no motive for delay here, I passed on to 
Shippensburgand Strasburg, both German or Dutch towns ; 
the latter at the foot of the stupendous mountains before 
alluded to, and which are called the Alleghany. During 
the first and second days, I met with no considerable ob- 
jects but such as I was prepared to expect ; immense hills, 
bad roads, and frightful precipices : I drove my horse be- 
fore me most of the distance. On the evening of the third, 
about dusk, I arrived at the tavern where I meant to re- 
pose : it was a miserable log-house, filled with emigrants 
who were in their passage to the Ohio ; and a more pain- 
ful picture of human calamity was seldom beheld: — old 
men embarking in distant arduous undertakings, which 
they could never live to see realized ; their children go- 
ing to a climate destructive to youth ; and the wives and 
mothers partaking of all these sufferings, to become vic- 
tims in their turn to th-e general calamity. This scene 
held out no very strong temptation to me for pasting the 
B 



li TRAVELS IN 

night her«, but there was no alternative ; for my hors« 
was tired, the wolves were out, and the roads impassable 
in the dark ; the fire-side too, and all the seats, were oc- 
cupied, and the landlord was drunk. I was too much en- 
grossed however with the distress around me, sensibly to 
feel my own. I stood in fact motionless, with my aims 
iolded, and fell into a reverie ; from which I was roused 
by a meteor crossing the room, or at least my surprise 
was as great as would have been occasioned by such a 
phenomenon. It was a beautiful young woman, 



" Fitted or to shine in courts 
With unaffected grace ; or walk the plain, 
"With innocence and meditation join'd 
In soft assemblage.'* 

She spoke to her father and then addressed me with in- 
finite grace : lamenting that their accommodation *'wasso 
bad for a gentleman f and oflering to make a fire and serve 
supper upstairs, and strive to make me as comfortable as 
the situation and circumstances would permit. In a short 
time she was as good as her word ; and invited me to a 
small room, clean and warm, with supper already served. 
In all this proceeding ; in her conversation, actions, and 
manners ; there was a merit which could not be the result 
of a common mind.' Her person was tall and elegant : 
her eyes were large and blue : her features regular and an- 
imated ; an<l expressive of a pride and a dignity which 
the meanest clothing, and the strongest consciousness of 
her humble circumstances in life, could neither destroy 
nor conceal. I desired her to sit down, and then question- 
ed her on local subjects : her answers were neat and sen- 
sible, I extended my inquiries to a wider range; talking of 
natural curiosities iji the neighbourhood, the face of the 
country, manners, books, ^c. and to these particulars al- 
so her replies were judicious, intelligent, and unassuming. 
She had read mnch ; and the impression which this had 
made on her, appeared favourable to her retired life, to 
virtue, and to feeling : too much so to the latter ; for when 
I exclaimed, '* By what accident has. one so lovely in per- 
son, so improved in understandings and so delicate in mind, 
become the inhabitant of these terrific mountains, these 
.glopmy woods r" she burst into tears, and Icftmc I thca 



AMERICA. 15 - 

rose from table, called the ostler, and saw my horse fed ; 
and this man explained the mystery. The young lady's 
father, it seems, was an Irishman ; who, having been once 
opulent, gave his children th<3 most refined education which 
his country could afford. He was respected and happy : 
they were admired and beloved. In an evil day, some jea- 
lous demon infused into his heart disaffection to his king :. 
he associated with misguided characters, was implicated in 
their guilt, and with them banished from his native land. 
His amiable and suffering family followed him to America ; 
where, soon after his arrival, some swindlers stripped him 
of most of his money. He took refuge in profligacy and 
drink ; his wife died of a broken heart ; his child is fadin;^ 
in unmerited misery; and he is left to drag on a wretched 
existence,, which in the moments of reason must be embit- 
tered to a degree too painful to hear, or almost to ihink 

I saw Eleanor (for that was the name of this interesting 
cteature) the next morning, when she had returned to her 
usual duties and apparent serenity. I had an elegant edi- 
tion of Thomson in my pocket, which attracted her noticcr 
as it lay on my supper-table the night before. I nov/ wrote 
a romantic but just compliment on a blank leaf in it, and 
then presented to her the book : after which I instantly, 
mounted my horse, and resumed my journey ; deprecating 
the revolutionary politics which had brought this family, 
an<I thousands of others, into sucli ignominy and distress. 

The town of Bedford is next to Strasburg, and consists 
of^about two hundred well built houses. It is natural to 
inquire into the motives which could tempt men to settle 
in a region so remote from commerce and the world : iron- 
mines, and some fine mtervalland (as it is here called), 
were the original attractions. Bedford is but a short day's 
ride from the highest mountain of the prodigious chain ; 
and which, by way of distinction, is called exclusively 
"the Alleghany i* the others having received names from 
local events, or something remarkable in their features ; as 
Coneeocheque or Bloody Mountains, the Three Brothers, the 
^Valnut and the Laurel Hills, &c. I travelled along so at- 
tentive to the objects round me, and wasted so much time 
in visionary speculations, that I was overtaken by night on 
the summit of the mountain ; where the road was narrow 
and bounded by frightful precipices. If I attempted to acK 



16 TRAVELS IN 

vancc, a sudden and rapid death was unavoidable ; or if I 
remained where I was, wolves, panthers, and tiger cats, 
were at hand to devour me. I chose the latter risk, as 
having less of fatal certainty in it : I thought I could ef- 
fect something by resistance ; or that fortune might fav- 
our me by giving a more suitable supper, and a different 
launting ground, to the ferocrous animals. 

The progress of night was considerably advanced ; and 
the powerful exhalations of the preceding sun, for want of 
■wind to disperse or waft them to other parts, were return- 
ing to their parent woods. They at first hovered, in the 
form of transparent clouds, over small creeks and rivulets 
in the intervals of the mountain ;' and then assumed a wid- 
er range, spreading over the entire valley, and giving to it 
the appearance of a calm continued sea. This beautiful 
transfiguration took place several hundred feet below me ; 
while the summit of the hill had no mist, and the dew was 
not sensible. The moon shone, but capriciously : for' 
though some places were adorned with her brighest beams, 
and exhibited various fantastic forms and colours, others 
were unaffected by her light, and awfully maintained an un- 
•varied gloom j a '*^ darkness visible/' conveying terror and 
dismay. 

Such apprehensions were gaining fast on my imagina-^ 
lion, till an object of inexpressible sublimity gave a dif- 
ferent direction to my thought?, and seized the entire pos- 
session of my mind. The heavenly vault appeared to be 
all on fire : not exhibiting the stream or character of the 
aurora-borealis ; bat an immensity vivid and clear, through 
which the stars, detached from the firmament, traversed" 
in eccentric directions, followed by trains of light of diver- 
sified magnitude and brightness. Many meteors rose ma- 
jestically out of the horizon : and having gradually at- 
tained an elevation of thirty degrees, suddenly burst y and 
descended to the earth in a shower of brilliantsparks, or 
glittering gems. This splendid phenomenon was succeeded 
by a multitude of bhooting-stars, and' bails and columns 
of fire ; which, after assuming a variety of forms (vertical, 
spiral, and circular), vanished in slight flashes of lightning, 
and left the sky in its usual appearance and serenity. " Na- 
ture stood checked*' during this exhibition ; all was 
" A death-like silence, and a dread repose." 

>Yottld it had continued so f©r a Ume I for I had insensibly 



AlVJ ERICA. ir 

dropped on rriy knees ; and felt that 1 was offering to the 
great Creator of the works which 1 witnessed, the purest 
tribute of admiration and praise. ^My heart was full : I 
could not sii{)press my gratitude, and tears gushed from 
my eyes. 

These pious, these pleasing sensations, were soon forced 
to yield to others arising out of the objects and circum- 
stances round me. The profound silence maintained dur- 
ing the luminous representation, was followed by the din of 
the demon of the woods. Clouds of owls rose oat of the 
valleys, and flitted screaming about my head. The wolves 
too held some prey in chace, probably deer : their bowl- 
ings were reverberated from mountain to mountain ; or, 
carried through the windings of the vales, returned to the 
car an unexpected^, wonder. Nor was the panther idle ; 
though he is never to be heard till in the act of springing 
on his victim, when he utters a horrid cry. The wolf, in 
hunting, howls all the time ; certainly with the view of 
striking terror : for, being less fleet than many of the ani- 
n'ialson which he subsists, they would escape him it he did 
not thus check thdr speed by confounding theiT faculties, 
'i'his is particularly the case with the deer : at the hellish 
cry, the poor animal turns, stops, and trembles ; his eye', 
till ; his flanks heave; his heart bursts;and hediesthe moment 
before the monster rushes upon him. The tiger-cat was 
busily employed close by me. Like out little domestic 
creature of the same species, he delights in tormenting, and 
is admirably skilled in the art. lie had now caught 'an 
opossum, as I understood by the lamentations, but was 
in no haste to kill iti By the^aetion= andn^jise, he must 
have let it escape hisclutches several times, and as often 
seized and overpowered it again ; dropping it irom the tree, 
and chasing it up the trunk, tiU the wretch being wearied 
at length with his vagaries and cruelty, he strangled and 
devoured it. 

The intervals between these cries and roarings, were fill- 
ed by the noise of millions of other little beings. I'very 
tree, shrub, )>lant, and vegetable, harboured some ihou-- 
sands of inhabitants, endowed with the faculty of expres- 
sing their passions, wants, and appetites, in difTerenl tones 
and varied modulations. The most remarkable was the 
voice of whip-poor-will : plaintive and sad, " Whip-poor- 
Will !" was his constant exclumalion ; nor dij he quit hW 
B 2 



18 TRA.VELS IN 

place, but seemed to brave the chastisement which he s« 
repeatedly la-mented. The moon, by this time, had sunk 
into the horizon ; which was the signal for multitudes of 
lightning-flies to rise amidst the trees, and shed a new spe- 
cies of radiance round. In many places, where they roscr 
and fell in numbers, they appeared like a shower of sparks ; 
and in others where thinly scatterc^l, they emitted an inter- 
inittent pleasing ray. 

At length the day began to dawn : both the noisy and 
the glittering world now withdrew, and left to Nature a 
silent solemn repose of one half-hour. This I employed in 
reflections on the immensity and number of her works, 
and the presumption of man in pretending to count and 
describe them. Whoever dares to compose the history of 
nature, should first pass a night where I did : he would 
there be taught the vanity of his views,and the audacity of 
his intentions. He would there learn, that though gifted 
ivith a thousand years of life,and aided by ten thousand assist- 
ants) he still would be hardly nearer to his purpose ; neither 
the time nor the means would be sufficient for him to pour- 
tray, with their properties, the herbs under his foot, and^ 
with their affections,, the insects that dwell among them.. 
Yet every country has its natural historian ! A residence 
of three weeks, and a. daily walk of two hours for that pe- 
riod, arc deemed an ample qualification for the discovery 
and character of the productions of some of the finest re- 
gions on the globe. Such was not the disposition of St. 
Pierre : after passing many years in the laborious search 
of natural objects, and many years more in investigating, 
their laws and principles, as a, preparation for writing the 
history of nature, he abandoned the pursuit as impractica- 
ble and impious ; and favoured the world merely with his. 
Studies, which are beautiful, intelligent, and unassuming. 

1 conclude for the present ; again entreating you to ob- 
serve, that in my letters you are not to look for the graces 
©f style, or peculiar accuracy of detail. I write Irom the 
heart, from the impulse of the impressions made by real 
events; and this will, I hope, sufriciently gratify your ten-^ 
dcr and amiable feelings, 

T. A. 



AMERICA. JB 

LETTER II. 



Suti'-rise in a deep vaiky. Breakfast at an inn. American 
forests generally free from imderwood. The Author kills 
u large bear in the forest : its deliberate precaution on 
being shot. An Indian camp : gradual expulsion of the 
Indians into the interior, and their near extermination. 
Grandeur and beautiful tints of an autumnal scene. Lau- 
Tel-hill. Delightful vale leading to Pittsburg. Expen' 
ces at the American inns^ Comfort a term of very vari- 
ous application, 

Fittsburg, October, t806* 
As day approached frorrrthe east, I recommenced my 
journey. The sun soon after coloured '* in gay attire" 
some of the summits of the mountains, but his luminous 
body was not visible for a considerable time; and when it 
did appear in all its majesty, its rays were for several hours 
too oblique to penetrate the depths of the valley, and dis- 
perse the ocean of vapour which the preceding day had 
formed. It was interesting to observe with, what reluc- 
tance the mists dissipated. Till touched by the magic 
beam, they v/ere one uniform sheet: they then assumed 
a variety of forms ; clouds representing grotesque and live- 
ly figures, crowning some of the highest trees. Some de- 
scended to the bosom of the stream, and followed the 
windings of the waters ; others hovered over fountains and 
springs ; while the larger portion rose boldly to the moun- 
tain-tops, in defiance of the sun, to gain the higher atmos- 
phere, and again descend to the earth in dew or showers. 

The birds, with the first dawn, left the recesses of the 
valleys ; and taking their elevated- seats, "joined in one 
uciveisal t:hoir.'* At least, nothing had more the resem- 
blance of a general thanksgiving, or oblation of praise, to 
the Author of life and light ; and though it might have 
been but a burst of exultation for the return of morn, I 
referred thinking it a grateful expression of worship, which 
said to me : *' Go thou and do likewise." 

It was near ten before I had descended the mountain, 
aod reached a ^'luce of refreshiuent. You may conceive 



20 TOAVELS IN 

how much I was- exhausted ; and how much I felt for my 
horse, who had fasted all night after a tedious journey. 
In recompence I now took good care of him, and resolved 
to let him rest the remainder of the day. Indeed I was 
prepossessed in favour of this inn : for it was clean, the land- 
lady civil, and her husband sober; three extraordinary 
circumstances, and which I little expected to meet on that 
road. My breakfast consisted of Indian bread, wild pi- 
geons, and coffee made of native peas : nothing could be 
more conformable to the place and to my appetite. During 
the repast I conversed with my host on subjects which I 
supposed within the range of his information and capacity, 
Iwas mistaken : he was entirely unacquainted with the 
country round him. He never went west, because he had 
no business; on the east, he was bounded by the mountain, 
which he was determined never to ascend ; and on his 
right and left was a wilderness which he feared to pene- 
trate, as it abounded with wild beasts, snakes, and reptiles 
»f all kinds. 

I borrowed his guri and ammunition ; and having set the 
house with a pocket compass, took a north-west course 
through the woods. The American forest have generally 
one very interesting quality, that of being entirely free from, 
under or brush wood. This is owing to the extraordinary 
height, and spreading tops, of the trees ; which thus pre- 
vent the sun from penetrating to the ground, and nourish- 
ing inferior articles of vegetation. In consequence of the' 
above circumstance one can walk in them with mucb 
pleasure, and see an enemy from a considerable distance. 
1 soon felt the advantage of this ; for I had not been long 
out, before a bear fell from a tree, and rose erect, about 
twenty yards before me. He was in the act of looking up 
to the branch from which he had slipped, when I fire<l, and 
lodged a ball in his groin. He staggered, and leant against 
a tree : but recovering a little from the i)ain and surprise, 
he deliberately stooped to pick up a (jiiantity of cle^in . 
leaves ; which with the utmost precaution he stuffed into 
the wound, and thus stopped the flow of blood. I was 
prepared to fire a second time, but my heart failed me : t 
was overcome by the firmness which he shewed on receiv- 
ing the shot, and the means he employed to correct it£ 
injury. He tried to climb the tree once more, but could 
not: the vital stream again rushed out ; he fell \q tlv*> 



AMERICAo n 

ground, uttered a deep cry, and almost immediately ex- 
pired. He was a veiy large animal ; his tusks being five 
inches long, and his paw fifteen inches by five. 

I continued on my way, till I came to a wood of younger 
growth, interspersed with spots entirely clear of timber 
and marked by traces of former cultivation. I examined 
the place with care : it was an Indian camp ; such as is 
often seen from the borders of the Atlantic to the great 
western waters, and even to the Pacific ocean. Not that 
the Indians originally took this situation, or any other in- 
land one, from choice : on the contrary, their pursuits and 
their happiness lay on the coasts of the sea, and the banks 
of navigable rivers ; where they could lead a life congenial 
to the climate, adequate to their few wants, and suitable to 
their propensities. Thus they lived, regardless of the wealth 
and beauty of the interior, till the overflowing population 
of your couatry, and the religious and political tyranny of 
others, inspired a love of emigration : and brought on tha 
shores a flood from which the native inhabitants were o- 
bliged to recede ; renouncing at once their habits, their 
accustomed aliments and pleasures, the burial-places of 
their fathers, and the residence of their gads. So great was 
their respect to '* white men,'' that they retreated without 
making any opposition ; and with bleeding hearts began to 
settle in the back grounds, to live on meat instead of fish, 
to build tumuli for their dead, and sanctuaries for the 
** Great Spirit" who they hoped had followed them into 
the wilderness. Innocent intention'^ ! unassuming views ! 
yet these too were frustrated. Wave after wave followed 
the first inundation : each gaining new ground, and forcing 
this devoted people into the plains ; where they were only 
permitted to live long enough to form habits, and improve 
the land,and then were driven to the mountains, to feel the 
vicissitudes of other climates, range amid barren rocks, and 
combat for food with beasts of prey. Even this state of 
miserable existence was still to be denied them. They 
were hunted from these dreary haunts, and compelled to 
descend the mountains: not on their own native eastern 
side ; but on the western, which was the soil of their ene- 
mies, other savage nations who lived on the margins of the 
great waters, and who were at eternal war with the rest of 
mankind. The remainder of their history is obvio;^ j 
mutual an^ repeat&^d hostilities, th« ftlter^itioja of cUm»ti^ 



2«. TRAVELS IK 

anffmodc of life, and disease and intemperance introduced 
among them by the whites, have nearly annihilated the 
whole race. From the Atlantic to the Mississippi, a dist- 
ance of two thousand miles, ten thousand Indians (out of 
twenty millions) do not at this day exist. 

The camp which I was contemplating therefore, iras^ 
occupied as a last refuge in the hour of melancholy and 
despair. It is hid in the depth of the valley, amidst the 
profoundest gloom of the woods ; and at the period of its 
first establishment, must have been nearly inaccessible. I 
spent three hours in exploring it ; and found it to consist 
of, 1. A regular circle, a hundred paces in diameter, the 
perpendicular rise of the circumference of which is at least 
four feet ; 2. the site of about two hundred huts, placed at 
regular distances between the circle and the foot of a steep 
hill : and 3. the mounds of the dead. The space contained 
in the circle was usetl according to the exigencies of the 
times. In peace it was the forum where their wise men 
and elders met to deliberate on the affairs of the nation ; 
distribute impartial justice ; exercise their youth in various 
combats ; and instruct them in religious worship, of which 
dancing constituted a considerable part : — in war it was 
ihe assembly of their lighting-men ; where they debated on. 
measures of prudence, and stratagems of ingenuity. If 
the enemy attacked them in the camp, the old men, the 
wives, and children, with their effects, were placed in the 
centre of the circle ; while the warriors surrounded them 
as an impenetrable barrier, guarding the wall entirely 
round, and shouting defiance to the assailants. Nearly two 
hundred years have now elapsed since England sent her 
fiery zealots and furious bigots to one part of America ; 
while France, regurgitating robbers and prostitutes, colon- 
ized another. Was this a means to improve a people, and 
reclaim a country, and can its original inhabitants be con- 
demned for not accepting even a gospel and laws offered 
them at the point of the sword ? Are, they to be reproached 
for indolence, vice, and drunkenness, when most experienc- 
ed instructors came among them to teach these baneful 
practices ? Had the first settlers been animated by the 
j)nnciples of an enlightened humanity, how different would 
now be the face of society and natare here ! population 
would abound ; agriculture flourish ; the wide desert be a 
^njlin^ plain, loaded with waving corn ; commerce vvould. 



AMERICA. u 

have op€ne(l extensive roads, the arts and tb« sciences fol- 
lowing in her train ; and the cross, that holy emblem which 
is now disfigured by violence, blood and corruption, would 
be seen elevated on myriads of temples, and glittering 
through all the parts of the New World. 

At four o'clock the sun had left the valley, and I had to 
hasten away so as to reach my tavern before night. This 
1 effected, to the surprise of my hosts; for, from the length 
<jf my stay, they began to imagine me to have lost myself, 
or been devoured by wild beasts. An American has no 
conception of a person's being able to derive pleasure from 
a walk, or information from solitude : his sluggish facul- 
ties require palpable and active objects to give them exer- 
cise. I mention this to account for the astonishment of 
my landlord at my delay, and his insensibility to the enjoy- 
ments which a contemplative walk would every day present. 
Finding that 1 could derive no information from such a 
man (who knew nothing of the camp ; and, as his wife 
said, " did not heed such things, not he"), I hastily took 
some refreshment; retired to rest:;, and departed next 
morning, with a fine sun, and the promiseof a delightful day. 

Autumn had already begun to shed a varied tint overthe 
numerous subjects of her rich domain. I amused myself 
in endeavouring to count and classify the colours which she 
etnploys to diversify nature, and distinguish her reign from 
that of the other seasons : but I made little progress ; for the 
scene was too grand, extensive and sublime, to come under 
the confined controul of human calculation. 1 was on a va&t 
eminence, commanding a view of a valley in which stood 
millions of trees, and from which many millions more grad- 
ually rose in the form of an immense amphitheatre. It 
appeared as if every tree, though many were of the same 
class, had shades, hues, and characters, peculiar to itself; 
derived from individual attitude, growth, and soil ; and 
presentation to heavenly bodies, and the emanations issuing 
from them. It was one of those scenes on which the mind 
could dwell with infinite rapture; but which can never be de- 
scribed with justice and truth, except by one inspired by Him 
" Whoije breath pei fumes theiw, and whose pencil paints." 

:3ut 

" Who can paint 
Lihe nature ? Can imagination boast, . 
Amidst brr gay erection, hues like these,'*' 



i!4 TRAVELS IN 

Between this spot and Pittsburg i passed two flourishing 
little towns ; first crossing the celebrated Laurel-bill, so 
■called from its ridge being for several miles crowned with 
trees of that kin^d. This hill is remarkably steep and stony. 
Nothing worthy of mention struck my notice till I arrived 
within three mile^ of Pittsburg, when I descended into 
the beautiful vale which leads into that town. It was im- 
possible to behold any thing more interesting than this : it 
extended three miles on a perfect level, cultivated in the 
highest degree ; bounded by a rising ground on the left, 
and a transparent river on the right ; and leading to a well 
inhabited town where I meant to repose after a journey of 
^20 miles, 150 of them over stupenduous mountains and 
barren rocks. Such a sight could j^ot fail of gratifying 
and enchanting me ; giving serenity to the mind, and grat- 
itude to the heart : and awakening in the soul its most 
amiable and distinguished affections. 

In sending you this sketch, I have not stopped to detail 
the inferior particulars of the journey. It is of little con- 
sequence where a traveller sleeps, where and wifet he eats., 
and whether he was comfortable, &c. In travelling along 
this and every other road in America, a stranger is furnish- 
•ed with a route indicating the best inns and their distances 
from each other : as to the expense, it seldom varies .; be- 
ing a quarter of a dollar for lodging, the same sum for 
«very meal, and ^alf a dollar a night for a horse. With 
regard lo comfort, that favourite British word is two vague 
for general explanation ; as it relates to comparison, habit, 
and sensibilities. If the English miss cleanliness, the French 
coffee, the Dutch tobacco, the Germans beer, the Russians 
oil, the Italians chocolate, the Spaniards garlick, the Turks 
opium, the Tartars milk, the Indians rice, and so on through 
every nation, they never consider themselves comfortable ; 
and hence we hear the same houge praised by one gucsit, 
and vilified by another. 



AMERICA. 
LETTER III. 



Situation and description of Pittsburg. Its mannfactoi ies, 
ship-building, and population. State of education here. 
Character and persons of the ladies. Religions sects. 
Schools, Market-house J and prices of provisions. Fric€ 
of land. Amusements, 

Pittsburg, October, 1806. 
I AM afraid I tire your patience : three letters frora 
this place, and yet it remains undescribed ! Excuse me : 
I now commence. 

No inland town in the United States, or perhaps in the 
world, can boast of a position superior to this, both as to 
its beauty, and also the many advantages with which it is 
attended ; it being delightfully situated at the head of the 
Ohio, and on the point of land formed by the junction of 
the Alleghany and the Monongahela rivers. The site of the 
old French garrison Duquesne, which was taken by general 
Forbes in the year 1758, is immediately at the confluence 
of the two streams ; and commands a charming view of 
each, as well as of the Ohio.' The British garrison Fort 
Pitt (so called after the late earl of Chatham, and erected 
near the former post), higher up on the Monongahela, was 
once a place of some consequence as a frontier settlement, 
but fell into decay on being given up by its founders. As 
it was included in one of the manors of the Penn family, it 
was sold by the proprietaries; and now makes a ])art of the 
town of Pittsburg, and is laid out in town-lots. Fort 
Fayette, built a very few years since, is also within the lim- 
its of the town, on the bank of the Alleghany : a garrison 
is at present kept there ; and for the most part, it is made 
head-quarters for the army of the United States. 

The spot on which this town stands, is so commanding 
(in the military phrase) that it has been emphatically call- 
ed the key to the western country ; and its natural situa- 
tion is peculiarly grand and striking. Blest as it is with 
numerous advantages, there is nothing surprising in it* 
having increased rapidly within the last few 3'ears. It 
contains about four hundred houses, many of them large 



26 TRAVELS IN 

* 
and elegantly built with brick ; and above two thousand 
inhabitants. It abounds with mechanics, who cultivate 
most of the different manufactures that are to be found in 
any other part of the United States ; and possesses upward 
of forty retail «^ore*,* which all seem continually busy. 
To this place most of the goods conveyed in waggons over 
the mountains in spring and autumn, and destined for the 
Kentucky and Louisiana trade, are brought, to be ready 
for embarkation. 

Many valuable manufactories have been lately establish-' 
«d liere ; among which are those of glass, nails, hats, and 
tobacco. The manufacture of glass is carried on exten- 
sively, and that article is made of an excellent quality. 
There are two establishments of this sort ; one for the 
coarser, and the other for the finer kinds. 

Ship-building is practised to a considerable extent in and 
near this town, and several vessels of from 10 to 350 tons 
are now on the stocks. They are frequently loaded here 
with ilour, hemp, glass, and provisions : and then descend 
%ith the stream to the sea, a distance of 2300 miles ; the 
only instance of such a length of fresh-water inland navi- 
gation, for vessels of such burthen, known in the world. 

The principal inhabitants of Pittsburg are Irish, or of 
Irish origin : this accounts for the commercial spirit of the 
place, and the good-breeding and hospitality which in ge- 
neral prevail throughout it. — Colonel O'Hara, and majors 
Kirkpatrick and Grey, have been long distinguished for the 
liberality of their character, and their generous attention 
to strangers. I am indebted to them for much informa- 
tion and kindness ; and whenever luy mind wants a subject 
^pablc of affording it the most pleasing contemplation^ 
it shall revert to the many ha))py hours which I enjoyed 
in their society, ajid that of their amiable families. 'Ihe 
influence of these and many other gentlemen of similar 
sentiments, is very favourable to the town ; and has hind- 
ered the vicious pro])Qnsities of the genuine American 
character, from establishing here the horrid dominion 
which they have assumed over the Atlantic States. 

♦ Tlie couHuon name for the places of salo in America and llie colo- 
nies ; diftViiuj; ixomsJwps in beintr generally larger, and always dealing 
in a vast variety ol articles, ii^cluding every lhii;g that can be expected i 
to be asrked for. 



AMERICA. 27 

Education is not attended to by tlie men, so much as 
by the ladies. The former enter into business so early, 
that they are obliged to abandon their studies before they 
are half completed ; but the latter having no other \\e\^ 
than the improvement of their faculties, pass many years 
in pursuit of solid information and fashionable attain- 
ments. Hence they acquire a great superiority over the 
cither sex. The ladies of Pittsburg manifest this superio- 
rity in a very high degree, but do not abuse it. Modest 
and unassuming, they Conceal for a considerable time 
their embellishments; and when they permit them to shine 
out, it is to pkase a husband, father, or acquaintance, 
and not for the grarifieation of ambition or the humilia- 
tion of friends. None of their sensations appear to be vi-^ 
olent : their character exhibits more of a serene repose' 
than of a boisterous energy. Their form is slender, per-* 
son tall, and voice melodious ; the hair light ; the eye 
mild ; the gesticulation easy : and in a word, the whole of 
their manner, action, and appearance, denotes a temper- 
ate £oul, an excellent heart, and an improved mind. I 
am happy to say that these are the leading features of ma- 
ny American women : it gives me great pleasure to render 
this justice to them; and to assure you thatwhen 1 ex- 
pressed the supreme disgxrst excited in me by the people of 
the United States, the ladies were by no. means included 
in the general censure. Indeed it is a highly interesting- 
fact, that the character of women is in every country 
more fixed and stable than that of men : the polished fe- 
males of your court, the innocent ones of your fields and 
villages, and the females (cultivated or savage) of the most- 
distant regions, have one universal indeliabte obligation im- 
pressed upon them; to be the entertaining companions, 
the charming associates, the bosom-friends, and thefaith- 
fal comforters, of man. This obligation they obey through- 
out the world. The vicissitudes of life, which cause a de- 
plorable difference in the conduct of men, exercise no pow- 
er OTer their affections ; except that their love is strength-*, 
ened by our adversity, and their friendship increased by 
our calamities. When the yellow fever is preying on the 
exanimate wretch ; when the vital stream urges a passage 
from every pore ; when his servants, and the nearest and 
dearest of his own sex, fly the dread contagion ; who 
stays to check the crimson effusion, to offer the last sad 



58 TRAVELS W 

remedy, to cool the burning tongue, to correct the putrid 
air, to receive the solemn parting injunction, and the last 
agonizing embrace ? who but the wife of his bosom, or 
the favourite of his heart ? 

Happily for this place, religion is not extinct, though 
the professors of it are employing the best possible means 
for effecting its destruction. They are frittering it into a 
thousand ceremonies, a thousand absurd and eccentric 
shapes. In fact, religious worship is expressed hine by 
every vagary that can enter into a disturbed mind. Some 
sit still, and appear to commune with themselves in- silence 
and solemnity : others, on the contrary, employ themselves 
in violent gesticulation, and shouting aloud. Some, in. 
mere obedience to the letter of the apostle's instruction, to 
" become aslittle children,'' think it right to play and roll 
on the floor, tumble, dance, sing, or practise gymnastic 
and various other juvenile games. Others deny the ne- 
cessity of at all frequenting the house of the Lord : and ac- 
cordingly turn out into the wilderness ; where they fast^ 
pray, and howl in imitation of the wolves. I did not in- 
quire into the arguments by which the merits oi these con- 
tradictory proceedings are supported : I was content "on 
being assured that the better kind of people frequent the 
protestant church and the Romish chapel, — I cannot omit 
mentioning, that even the dress and the costume of the 
hair and beard, are made subservient to religious opinions. 
Yesterday, while walking with an intelligent acquaintance, 
there advanced toward us out of a wood, a being that ap- 
peared to me a bear in disguise ; wrapped, in an immense 
cloak ; and a hat like an umbrella unfurled, covering its 
head. Under this impression, I could not help exclaim- 
ing: " What the deuce is that ?" My friend laughed, and 
told me it was a Mcnonite : ** a harmless creature,'' con- 
tinued he, *' belonging to a sect who never inhabit towns, 
nor ever cut their beard, hair, or nails; wash or clean 
themselves ; and whose dress^ habits, and general mode of 
life, are at variance with those of the rest of mankind." 
Pity now succeeded the error which 1 at first entertained. 

I am sorry that I cannot make a favourable report of 
the scholastic establishments of this town. There is but 
gne of a public nature ; which is called an academy, and 
supported by the voluntary munificence of the place. It is 
under the direction of a number of trustees ;. who employ 



AMERICA. 2$ 

tiiemselves so much in altercation whenever they meet; 
that they have not yet had time to come to any mutual- 
understanding on its concerns. There is however a mas- 
ter appointed, who instructs about twenty boys in a sort of 
transatlantic Greek and Latin, something in the nature of 
what the French call patois, but which serves the purpose 
of the pupils as well as if their teacher were a disciple of 
Demosthenes or Cicero. 

There are a few private schools where the principles of 
grammar^ rhetoric, and a sound English education, may be 
acquired: the young ladies while cTay-scholars, generally 
attend a. master, and the present minister of the English 
church isprincipal of aschool for the fair sex. His course 
ofstudy is very liberal, philosophical, and extensive. Some" 
of his scholars compose with great elegance, and read and 
speak with precision and grace.' He makes them acquaint- 
ed with history, geography, and polite literature; together 
with such other branches of instruction as are necessary- 
to correct the judgment and refine the taste. 

The market-house, which stands in a square in the cen- 
tre of the town, is frequented almost daily, but more par- 
ticularly on two stated days of the week by vast numbers 
of country-people who bring to it provisions of every de- 
scription. 

The beef is excellent, and is often sold as cheap as three 
cents a pound ; * good veal, at seven cents ; and pork at 
three dollars a hundred weight. Remarkable fine fowls 
cost about a shilling a couple. Quails, partridges, pigeons 
and game of various kinds, are abundant, and sold at pri- 
ces equally reasonable. Venison and bear-meat also are 
s-often brought to market : a hauuch of the former n>ay be 
bought for half a dollar, and a flitch of thelatter for about 
twice as much. Vegetables and fruit are plentiful, but 
rather higher in proportion than other articles. Butter 
is generally fourteen cents a pound ; eggs five cents a doz- 
en ; and milk, three cents a quart. From this statement 
you will readily perceive that living here must be extreme- 
ly cheap, the best taverns charge half a dollar a day /or 
three meals and lodging ; and there aie boarding-houses orri 
the terms of only a hundred dollars ayear for board, lodg- 
ing, and washing. The great towns en the Atlairtic, are, 

* A hundred cents make a doJInr- 
C 2 



50 TRAVELS IN 

vastly dearer ; in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, aii<f 
Charleston, the average price of decent accommodation 
being ten dollars a week. Those places however have th© 
advantage in respect to foreign manufactures, wine, and 
liquor L for there Madeira is a dollar a bottle, but here ip 
is a dollar and a half; and spirits of course are in the same 
rates. This is the natural eftect of ike dangerous, diffi- 
cult, and expensive, land-carriage. As these latter are 
articles of luxury, their weight falls alone on the affluent r 
the other classes of society have excellent porter brewed 
in the town at a very cheap rale, and whiskey is to be had 
for two shillings a gallon. 

The price of land varies with the quality^ the distance 
from the town, and other causes. Farms on the margins of 
navigable waters are 300 per cent, dearer than those lying 
behind them. Good land on the banks of a river, and near 
a market-town, is not to be had under ten dollars an acre ;. 
but land under contrary circumstances brings only from 
one to two or live doUai^. Such land yields from twenty 
to thirty bushels of wheat, and from forty to sixty bushels 
of Indian corn. 

As for the amusements here, they are under the domin- 
ion of the seasons. In winter, carioling or slci/ing predomi- 
nates ; the snow no sooner falls, than pleasure, bustle, and 
confusion, banish business, speculation, and strife ; nolh- 
lUg -is seen but mirth, and nothing is heard but h,ar^ 
mouy. All young men of a certain condition pro- 
vide themselves with handsome carioles and good horses, 
and take out their favourite female friends, whom with 
much dexterity they drive through the streets ; calling 
on every acquaintance, and. taking refreshment at many 
an open house. For the night, an appointment is generally 
made by a large party (for instance,, the company of twenty 
or thirty carioles) to meet at a tavern several miles distant; 
to which they go by torch-light, and accompanied by mu^- 
sic. On arriving there, the ladies castoti' their fur pelisses^ 
assume all their beauties, and with the men commence 
the mazy dance. This is followed by supper, songs, catch' 
cs, and glees. When the voice of Prudience dispels the 
charm, they resume their vehicles, and return delighted 
with the moments v hich they have thus passed : — this is 
repeated fre(|uently during the snow. The summer amuse- 
ment consist principally of conccitS; evening walks, and 



AMEIIJCA, S4 

rarat fesjtivals held in. the vicinity of clear springs and unr- 
der the shade of odoriferous trees. On the latter I shall 
dwell in some future letter : at present I must conclu(|^ 
with the usual sentiments of attachment and regard. 



LETTER IV. 

Tlie subject of emigration from Britain considered. History 
of an eiTiigrant far7ner, Kentucky peopled by a puffing 
publication. Lord Selkirk's colonizations. District leusf 
pernicious for emigrants, 

Pittsburg, November, 1806. 
As the portrait which I gave you in my last, of this 
town and its vicinity, might dispose some minds on your 
side of the water to emigration, it will be but fair and hon- 
est for me to consider that subject rather minutely, and 
shew you how far such a measure would tend to their hap- 
piness or otherwise. For this purpose let us suppose an 
individual determined to abandon the land of his nativity, 
and to break the chain of early attachments and maturer 

friendships, to go whither I To a country of which 

scarcely any but unfaithful delineators have written ; to 
regions described by persons who meant to impose on the 
public, by giving lavish and flattering details of which 
they themselves had only heard. One place is said to be 
" a paradise, where man enjoys the felicities of the golden 
age;" and another is represented as "a fit residence for gods." 
Alas ! these are the reports either of travellers who conceive 
that they must not speak the truth, or perhaps of indigent 
\vriters who never were out of London. Such compositions 
are a kind of romance, intended to amuse, not to instruct ; 
to please, but convey no intelligence : and this is the dan- 
gerous effect of an opinion, that the public taste would not 
endure a work destitute of false colouring and meritricious 
embellishments ; and that an author adhering to the sim- 
plicity of truth, would be condemned as a gloomy pedant 
who represented nature in a dark disguise. To illustrate 
these observations, it may be useful to state a fact. 

Only a few years have elapsed since a gejatleman farmer, 



52 Travels m 

re&iding within three or four miles of Lewes in the county' 
of Sussex, began to entertain unfavourable notions of hi» 
country ; and to believe that he was a mere slave, subject 
to the caprice of an arbitrary government; Perhaps yoil 
will suppose that a course of unmerited adversity had re- 
duced him to poverty and distress, and thus given this un- 
happy turn to his thoughts : on the contrary, his farm was 
his own ; it enabled him to support a large family, to en- 
joy the comforts and even luxuries of life, and the delight 
of performing acts of generosity among his relations and 
neighbours. Under what delusion then did belabour? 
That which arose fron> an extravagant admiration of the 
French ^evolution, and the French pahnots ! He extolled 
all that they did and trusted to all they said. They declared, 
that the people of ETngland were not free, but in a state of 
infamous servitude: he believed this; and to amend his 
wretched condition, resolved to emigrate. He fixed onr 
America as his destination ; and to obtain all the necessa- 
ry information for this purpose, bought up every publica- 
tion which professed to describe that extensive country. 
He had before read every one that abused and censured big 
own ; and even his children were familiar with Jefferson's 
flights on IndependaBCCr the blasphemies of Tom Paine 
and the political reveries of Priestley. Thus equipped, 
thus admirably prepared for the completion of his project, 
he sold his stock and all his possessions, and embarked, 
without any other regret than what he patriotically felt for 
the calamities 2lX\6 degeneracj/ of his countrymen. 

You need not be told, that on leaving the land, and 
encountering storms and dangers of every kind, a variety 
©f recollections must have recurred te the minds of our 
emigrants, and torn their hearts with the anguish of recol- 
lected and endearing sympathies. Such must have been the 
state of their feelings till they arrived in sight of America, 
but these sensations were then diverted by a succession of 
Jiewand unknown objects. They first saw land to the north- 
east of Portland, in the district of Maine; and then coasted 
along the shore to Boston inMassachusetts. During this pe- 
riod, the father wxi« anxiously looking for that prospect of 
fields and villages, that general shew of improvement and 
abundance, wiiich his reading had instructed him to 
expect ; but- what was his surprise when he found that he 
could observe nothing but immense forests, covering ao 



AMERICA. 3» 

endless successjon of mountains which pencftrated to the 
interior of the country, and lost their summits in the 
clouds ! He was not aware, that from the vast extent of 
America, the industry of man cannot for centuries effect a 
visible change in the general and primitive face which it 
bears. The improvements are but as specks scattered here 
and there, and can only be perceived by particular re- 
searches: the survey from a distance represents a contin- 
ued immeasurable tract of woods, apparently occupied by 
beasts of prey, and incapable of affording accommodation- 
to man. 

This unexpected sight engaged and astonished him ; nor 
were his reflections on it interrupted till he arrived in Bos- 
ton harbour, where other scenes gave him fresh cause for 
wonder. A swarm of custom-officers were in an instant 
on board ; and began their work of search, extortion, and 
pillage. Having escaped from these,, and landed, he found 
Iiiniself surrounded by a number of persons who, without 
any kind of ceremony, crowded on him with the most fa* 
miliar and impertinent inquiries : such as why he left 
England, whether he intended to settl^^ among them, what 
were his means, what line of life he meant to follow, &c. 
One of them could let him have a house and store, if he 
turned his thoughts to merchandize : another could supply 
him, at a low price, with the workshop of a mechanic, a 
methodist-meeting, or a butcher's shop, if either of these 
articles would suit him. Some recommended him to be* 
come a land-jobber ; and to buy of them a hundred thou-- 
sand acres on the borders of the Genessee country, and on 
the banks of extensile rivers and sumptuous lakes. This 
speculation was opposed by others : who oifered him the 
sale of a parcel of town- lots, from which, by building on 
them, he could clear 500 ptr cent. ; or if he had not means 
to build for the present, he could cultivate the lots as cab- 
bage-gardens, clear the first cost in a few years, and sell 
the whole at an advanced price ! Finding however that 
none of their advice had any efl^ect, these sordid specula- 
tors gradually dispersed ; forraing different conjectures of 
the stranger's intention, and lamenting that he was not 
simple enough to be made their dupe. 

At length he reached a tavern ; where he had not been 
long before a succession of swindlers and impostors intru- 
ded on his privacy, asked him a new set of questions, and 



U TRAVELS IN 

harassed him with proposals varying according to the paN 
ticular interests of the parties. If he had a desire to be- 
come a banker, he could purchase a share in a capital house : 
or he might buy a land-lottery ; take a contract for build- 
ing a bridge ; place his funds in a manufactory oi weavers' ^ 
shuttles ; buy up unpaid-for British goods, twenty per cent, 
under prime cost ; sell them by auction, and then buy a. 
patent for making improved fish-hooks, and cut iron nails. 
As he did not approve of any of these plans, he was fortu- 
nately left to his little family : but not till his intruders 
gave him to understand that they suspected him to be a- 
poor fellow without either money or spirit ; and who came- 
among ihem to become a school-master, lawyer, parson^ or 
doctor, " These professions," they added, " already a- 
bounded among them, but in the interior of the country he' 
could not fail to succeed ; and they hoped he would soon 
remove to those parts, as people of his kind were hardly 
held in repute among them'' 

When they were again alone, his wife and himself could 
no longer suppress their astonishment and horror. One' 
short hour had dispelled the reveries in. which they had sa 
long indulged ; and changed the liberal^ indepc7identy ami' 
able Americans, of whom they had read so much, into a- 
race of impudent, selfish, sordid individuals, without "ithcr 
principle or common humanity. Still however he was not 
inclined to judge rashly of them ; but de-iberately to exa- 
mine the country, and act from his own observations. 

At last, after spending much of his time and property, 
his conclusions were these y. that the high price of labour 
renders it impossible for a gentleman- farmer to make any 
thing of land there ; that no man can succeed on a farm un- 
less he himself attends the plough, and has a wife and chil-- 
dren capable of performing the other mean and hard work ;.- 
that the market-prices are too low to defray the expense 
of hired labourers, and that one of his own flocks of sheep- 
m England yielded a greater profit than any farm which. 
he had examined or seen here. Taxes too, he found, were 
numerous and increasing ; yet trade was unprotected, and- 
persons and property were insecure. \s to religion, he 
saw it in some parts estaWished by a rigid ecclesiastical ty- 
ranny, compelling him to go to church on a Sunday or 
pay a fine y and in othei*&so much neglect«d and disre^rd- 



AMERICA. . ^5 

«d, that every house of worship was in a state of dilapida-. 
tion and decay. 

Unwilling to renounce the prejudice which had led him 
to prefer America to his own country, he travelled south- 
ward, passing through the malignant ordeals of the middle 
States : through the burning fevers which annually claim 
their thousands ; and depopulate the great towns of New- 
York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. He did not, it is true, 
iind these dreadful scourges prevailing in the southern States, 
but he soon learnt that thty too were regularly visited by 
periodical diseases. Slavery also reigned here ; and con- 
sequently tyranny^ sloth, avarice, and licentiousness. 

He had now visited the whole of settled America ; and 
at length awoke from those dreams in which he had so long 
indulged, and which ruined a considerable part of his for- 
tune. His present reflections indeed were sound and sal- 
utary : they brought to his mind new ideas of his native 
land, and of its constitution. What he had seen in Ame- 
rica„, led him to recollect the undisturbed security and 
wealth w^^ich he once so eminently enjoyed at home. To 
change his. own mild and paternal government, for the wild 
principles of the American federal system ; to renounce 
the honour of being a British subject, for the degradation 
of becoming a citizen of such States ; now appeared to him 
.absurd and contemptible : he accordingly prepared with 
eagerness to return to his native home^ and is at this mo- 
ment the tenant on the farm which was originally his inhe* 
ritance. And yet he is happy, because be now sees all the 
objects of his former discontent in a rational view. Tythes, 
which formerly excited his disgust and uneasiness, he now 
owns to be necessary (till some equivalent can be substitu- 
ted in their stead) for the support of religious worship ; the 
neglect of which, as he has strikingly seen in America, ren- 
ders a country infamously licentious. Taxes he allows to 
be essential for securing public order, public wealth, and 
individual prosperity and happiness. He admits that com- 
merce must be protected by a navy ; and that foreign pos- 
sessions, which supply that commerce, must be maintained 
by astanclingarmy: and concludes that to expect riches 
and prosperity without taxes, is to expect the return of the ' 
fabulous golden age ; a thing that may be wished even by 
the wise, but which fools themselves can never hope for. 
Such h this gentleman's history ! You will ask me why 



-:5tS TRAVELS IN 

others do not follow his example ; and when they find A- 
mcrica contrary to their sanguine nstions, return to their 
native home. I reply that they either want means, or are 
-ileficient in strength of mind ; that they either involve their 
fortunes in vague speculations from which they cannot re- 
tire, or fear to encounter the contempt and derision of their 
former acc[uaintance. Some are even so base as to write, 
in the midst of their disappointment, flattering letters for 
the purpose of enticing others to follow their steps (which 
must inevitably lead them into the same errors and calam- 
itiei) only for the sake of having companions in misfortune 
and ridicule. 

But a more powerful cause producing emigration is, that 
it becomes the business of those who make large purchases 
of land, to exert all their eloquence and other means for 
inviting people to settle on it. The first explorer of Ken- 
tucky hired an author, residing in Philadelphia, to write 
an animated and embellished description of that country. 
The narrative was in a florid, beautiful, and almost poetical 
style : in short, the work possessed every merit except truth. 
However, the land-speculator succeeded : in the course of 
seven years, the book drew forty thousand inhabitants into 
ihat State ; but this instrument of their delusion is now 
read only as a romance. Such were the views also which 
accomplished lord Selkirk's extensive colonizations : yet 
the first settlers nearly perished from %vant, owing to the 
general devastation of vermin destroying the seed before it 
took root in the ground ; and the next fell victims to the 
flux and fevers, generated in the immense swamps on the 
lakes of the west. Priestley, under the same delusive in- 
fluence, strengthened by his peculiar political and religious 
pri-nciples, settled in another inhospitable region ; but he 
was soon obliged to draw a sad contrast between this and 
his n.ative land : he fell into a deep melancholy, and died 
of a broken heart. 

I cannot think it necessary to say much after this detail 
of facts. I ask you, could ijou dream of coming to this 
country, from so gloomy yet so true a representation of it ? 
Though many of these facts do not operate against this 
town and its neighbourhood, still there are enough to deter 
me from encouraging any person to remove hither. But 
I do not hesitate however to declare, that if a friend of 
mine were resolved on emigration, 1 would recommend 



AMERICA. S7 

these waters in preference to any place that I have seen 
east of the mountains ; and as 1 have carefully travelled 
from Georgia to the district of Maine, you may depend on 
mj opinion as possessing the advantages of experience. 



1.ETTER V. 



^lorgantown. The Moiwngahela river. Cheat titer, mid 
Georges-creek, New Geneva, and Greensburg. BronnS' 
ville, JVil/iams-port. Elizabeth-town. Mackee's-porf^ 
arid Braddock's-defeat, An Indian fortified camp deacri- 
bed, and interesting object discovered near it. Ancient 
Indian barrows, or burial-places. Remains of arms, iiteu' 
sils, and instruments. 

Morgantown, Pennsylvania, November, I806. 
This, which is a flourishing town pleasantly situated 
on the east bank of the Monongahela river, contains about 
sixty dwellings ; and is a county-town for the counties of 
Harrison, Monongahela, and Randolph. As it may be 
considered as at the head of the Monongahela navigation, 
I shall here give you a sketch of that river. 

The Monongahela takes its rise from the foot of the 
Laurel-mountain, in Virginia : thence meandering in a 
direction west by east, it passes into Pennsylvania; receiv- 
ing in its course Cheat and Yougheogheny rivers from the 
south south-east, and many other small streams. It unites 
with the Alleghany at Pittsburg ; and the two rivers, as I 
have before remarked, form the Ohio. The settlements 
on each side of it are extensive, and much of the land is 
good and well cultivated. The appearance of the rising 
towns and the regularly disposed farms on its banks, is 
truly delightful to passengers. Jn autumn and spring it 
is generally covered with what arc here called trading and 
family boats ; the former loaded with flour, whiskey, cy* 
der, apples, peach-brandy, bacon, iron, glass, eartheru 
ware, cabinet work, &c. all being the product and manu- 
facture of the country, and destined for Kentucky and 
Kew-Orleatts : and the lattor carrying furniture, utensils. 



.as TRAVFXS IN 

and tools for the cultivation of the soil. No scene can be 
more pleasing to a philosophic mind than this ; which pre- 
sents to view a floating town, as it w^re, on the face of a 
river, whose gentle rapidity and flowered banks add sub- 
limity to cheerfulness ; and the sweet harmony of the song- 
sters of the woods, io the hoarseness of the falling catar- 
act or the murmur of the quiet stream. 

Eight miles below this town is Cheat river, the mouth 
of which is obstructed by a long afro difficult shoal ; a 
pilot should always be taken to guide a stranger through 
this. Twelve miles from this shoal, and on the east side, 
is George's-creck ; below the mouth of which is situated 
New Geneva a thriving town, and distinguished for exten- 
sive manufactories in its vicinity, which make apd export 
large quantities of good glass. Kentucky and other boats 
are built here. A little below, and on the opposite side 
of the river, lies Greensburg^ a small village, of which 
nothing favourable can be said. 

Thirty-one miles from this last place is Brownsville, 
formerly called Redstone. This town is well known to 
those who migrate down the rivers. It is handsomely sit- 
uated, but somewhat divided ; a part lying on the first 
bank, but more on a second and higher one ; both the 
banks being formed by the gradual subsidence of the wa- 
ter. It is a place of much business, and contains about 
a hundred houses and six hundred souls. The settlement 
round it is excellent ; having some of the best mills to b© 
found in the country ; and amongtheman extensive paper- 
mill, which is the only one at this side of the mountains, 
except that lately erected in Kentucky. A variety of boats 
are built here ; and an extensive rope-walk is carried on, 
with various other valuable manufactories. The inhabi- 
tants are principally German and Dutch ; and this accounts 
at once for the wealth, morals, and industry of the place. 

William's-port lies nineteen miles below Brownsville. 
The town is small, but well situated ; and is increasing 
in business ; as it has a fine settlement, and lies on the 
direct road from Philadelphia to Whulan on the Ohio, 
and other places of conveyance. 

Beautifully situated, eleven milesfurther down thestrenm, 
stands Elizabeth-town ; where considerable business iv. 
done in the boat and ship-building way. A ship called the 
IVlonongahela Farmer, and several other vessels of considc- 



AMERICA.' 3^ 

rable burthen, were built here ; and, lioaded with the 
produce of the adjacent country, passed from the midst 
of the mountains to the bosom of the sea, through cir- 
cuitous fresh water streams that enrich provinces for an 
extent of nearly 2,400 miles. 

Mackee's-port, also pleasantly situated, lies eight miles 
still lower, and just beyond the junction of the Yougheog- 
heny and the Monongahela. Many boats are built here ; 
and on that account, migrators to the lower country 
generally choose this place for embarking. It is increasing 
in business, and indicates a likelihood to rise to some im- 
portance. A spot on the east side of the river, and eight 
miles from Mackee's-port, is called Braddock's-defeat-, in 
commemoration of the melancholy destruction of that 
British general and his force by the Indians in the Ameri- 
can war. Nine miles further down stands Pittsburg, which 
I have already described. 

As I did not stop to interrupt my rapid sketch of this 
river by mentioning a variety of interesting particuhirs 
which occur on its banks, I shall now return to a few oi' 
them. 

Theneighbourhood of Brownsville, or Redstone, abounds 
with monuments of Indian antiquity. They consist of for- 
tilled camps, barrows for the dead, images and utensils, 
military appointments, &c. 

A fortiiied camp (which is a fortification of a very com- 
plete nature, on whose ramparts timber of five feet in di- 
ameter now grows) commands the town of Brownsvillcj 
which undoubtedly was once an Indian settlement. This 
camp contains about thirteen acres, enclosed in a circle, 
tiic elevation of which is seven feet above the adjoining 
ground. Within the circle, a pentagon is accurately des- 
cribed ; having its sides four feet high, and its angles uni- 
i^rmly three feet from the circumference of the circle, 
thus leaving an unbroken communication all round. "^uicli 
side of the pentagon has a postern, opening into the pas- 
sage between it and the circle ; but the circle itself has 
only one grand gateway, which directly faces the town. 
Exactly in the centre stands a mound, about thirty feet 
high, hitherto considered as a repository of the dead ; and 
which any correct observer can perceive to have been a 
place of look-out. I confess that 1 examined these remains 
€)X the former power of man with much care and vencra- 



40 TRAVELS m 

tlon ; nor couUl I resist reproaching those writers who hme 
igiioraiitly asserted, " We know of no such thing existing 
at> an Indian monument of respectability; for we would 
not honour with that name arrow points, stone hatchets, 
stone pipes, half shapen images, &c/' I ask those writers, 
>\hat opinion they entertain of the object which 1 now de- 
scribe ; and I request them, when they are again disposed 
to enlighten the world with their lucubrations, to visit the 
countries which they profess to delineate ; and diligently 
searth for materials there, before they presume to lell us 
that such have no existence. 

At an inconsiderable distance from the fortification, was 
a small rising ground ; on the side of which I perceived 
a large projecting stone, a portion of the upper surface of 
vthich was not entirely concealed in the bank. If the per- 
ceptible portion of it had been marked with the irregular 
Huoes (Lat tli^Linguish the hand of Nature, I might have sat 
on this stone in silent meditation on the objects which it 
irn mediately ci»mmanded ; but I conceived that the .sur- 
face had that uniform and eveii character which exhibits 
the result of industry and art. 

Animated by a variety of conjectures, I hastened to the 
town to engage assistance ; and quickly returned to clear 
riway the earth ; which bore strong indications of having 
fallen on the stone, and not having primitively engender- 
ed it. In proportion as I removed the obstruction, I 
pauH-d to dwell on the nature of ilie discovery; my heart 
tteat as I ]jroceeded, and my iinaginaiir'n traced various 
symbols which vanished before minute investigation. The 
itone was finally cleared in a rough manner, and repre- 
»vnted loour view a polygon with a smooth surface of eight 
KH't by five. I could not inimediately form any conclu- 
>»ion, yet 1 persisted in the opinion that the hand of man 
had been busy in the formation of this object ; nor was I 
liiverted from this idea by the discouragement of the per- 
sons whom 1 employed, and the laughter of the multitude 
that followed me from the town to gaze on my labour and 
delight in my disappointmeHt. Though the earth was now 
cleaned from the general surface of the stone, small quan- 
tities of it remained in certain irregular traces : and this 
I determined to remove before abandoning expectations 
which I entertained with so much zeal. I accordingly com- 
menced this operation, to the no small amusement of th^ 



AMERICA. 4^ 

spectators, ami with considerable anxiety ; for noiie of the 
indentions traversed the stone in right and parallel lines ; 
but they lay scattered without any apparent order, and I 
cherished the hope of dccypheringa systematic inscription. 
AVith a pointed stick I followed the nearest indention, and 
soon discovered that it described a circle which completed 
its revolution at the spot where 1 had commenced clearing 
it. A ray of triumph now shone in ray countenance ; the 
people no longer ridiculed me, but a silent expectation 
manifested a desire that I might be crowned with further 
success. Gn continuing, I cleared a right line which 
made a segment on the circle, though-itdid not touch the 
circumference at either end; i cleared in succession four 
other lines of this description ; and the general view then 
presented a circle enclosing a regular pentagon, whose an- 
gles were two inches from the circumference. The mul- 
titude shouted applause j some of them even entered into 
the spirit of my design, and returned to their homes for 
water and brushes to scrub the stone. When this task was 
effected, there appeared a figure of the head of an Indian 
warrior etched in the centre. Each side of the pentagon 
was intersected by a small bar, and the circle was also cut 
by one bar immediately opposite to a right line drawn from 
the head of the man. Near each line were an equal num- 
ber of little dots ; and the circle was surrounded by many 
more : ail uniform in their size, and in theirdistance from 
the circle and from each other. 

The deductions from this very interesting spectacle, did 
not however g4ve me the pride and delight that I ought to 
have felt ; for in reality they destroyed my most favourite 
conceptions— that the predecessors of the Indians were 
not only enlightened by the arts and sciences, but were a 
different sort of men from the present race, superior both 
in corporeal structure and mental endowment, and equal 
in the latter respect to the inhabitants of polished Europe. 
1 was obliged to allow that the fact before my eyes aboU 
jshed my theory entirely, for the representation on the 
stone was nothing more than a rude sketch of the adjoin- 
ing fort which I have just described. The bars on the 
lines in the etching designated the posterns and gateway ; 
the dots denoted the length of the lines, and the extent of 
the circumference of the circle ; and the warrior's head 
justified the opinion which I bad entertained, that the- 
D2 



42 TRAVELS IN 

mound in the centre of the fort was a place for a sentinel 
of observation. The etching is deep, and executed with 
considerable accuracy ; yet the whole has an Indian air j 
the head is indelibly marked with savage features, and re- 
sembles many which the modern tribes carve on theri 
pipes and tomahawkes. 

Two barrows or burial places lie contiguous to the fort. 
I perforated them in many places, to discover whether the 
bones lay in positions which announced any particular re- 
ligious or customary injunction ; but could discover no- 
thing on which to fonn an opinion with any certainty ;, 
though I was influenced by a tradition extant among t-he 
jiative Indians, that when their ancestors settled in a town, 
the first person who died was placed erect, and earth put 
about him so as to cover and support him ; and that when" 
another died, a. narrow passage was dug to the first, a- 
gainst whom he was reclmed, and the cover of the earth 
then replaced ; and so on. Most barrows hitherto dis- 
covered have been of a spheroidical form, which favours- 
this tradition. The one which I here opened, might have- 
been originally a parallelogram, sixty feet by twenty, and- 
thirty feet high, whose upper surface and angles have been 
rounded by the long influence of time and accident -, for 
we are not to conceive that the form of ancient works is 
exactly similar to that which they first possessed. Such- 
indeed as are built of stone, and have not been exposed to. 
dilapidation, do not experience any material change ; but 
all those monuments (and they are by far the most nume- 
rous) which are composed of earth, must have undergone 
considerable alteration and waste : and therefore afford a 
very scanty evidence of their original dimensions, or (ex- 
cept where bones were found) of their purpose. 

The bones in the barrows of this neighbourhood were- 
directed to every point, without any regard to system or- 
order. This surprised me the more, as I am well con- 
vinced that in general, most of the ancient aboriginal na- 
tions and tribes had farouritc positions for their dead, and 
even favourite strata with which to cover them ; as 1 shall 
have occasion to explain to you when on the spot where 
the primitive Indian tribes resided^ Perhaps the irregu- 
larities in the barrows of this place may arise Irom the 
bones -deposited in them, having been those of persons kil- 
hid in battle,, and collected by the survivors in order to be 



buried under one great mound. This conjecture is the 
more probable, as there is abundant testimon}- that In- 
dians dying naturally have been always interred with great 
pomp, and certain rites and positions existing to this day 
among them, which they are instructed to maintain by 
thoir most respected traditions. 

At the same time and place I found in my researches a 
few carved stone pipes and hatchets, flints for arrows, and 
pieces of earthern ware. I. cannot take upon me to say 
tiliat the workmanship of any of these articles surpasses 
the efforts of some of the present race of Indiam ; but it 
certainly destroys an opinion which prevailed, that the 
inhabitants in the most remote times had the use of arms, 
utensils, and instruments, made of copper,, iron, anil 
steel. The discovery however of these objects mixed witii, 
the bones of the dead, proves the high antiquity of the 
custom of burying with deceased persons such things a& 
were of the most utility and comfort to tliem in life. 



4A TRAVELS m 



LETTER VL 

Town of Erie. Description of the Alleghany river. Trade 
on- it. Its rise and progress. Towns and other remark- 
able places in its conrse. JVaterford, and journey thence 
to Meadville. Bigsugar creek, and Franklin. Mont- 
gomery's falls. Ewalt's defeat, Freeport. Sandy creek. 
The navigation of the Alleghany dangerous. Bituminous 
well. AUedged virtues of the water of the river, Onan.' 
dargo lake, and salt springs round it. Fondness of the 
animals here for salt. Buffaloes : interesting narrative 
respecting the destruction of those animals. Destruction 
of deer. Birds frequenting the saline waters: — doves, 
Unhealthiness of the climate, and cautions on that subject. 
The most salubrious situations. Details of the manner in 
which the commerce of the two rivers is conducted. Im- 
mense circuitous journey performed by those chiefly engU' 
ged in it. Every thing done without money. A store 
described, and its abuses ; — anecdote. 

Erie,* December, 1806. 

This town, at the head oi?Lportnge\ communicating' 
with the river (the Alleghany) which I mean in the pre- 
sent letter to describe, was a few years since laid out by 
direction of the legislature of the state of Pennsylvania. 
From a view of its important and commanding situation, 
it was planned on a very large scale ; and every encour- 
agement was given to settlers, in order to advance its pro-- 
gress. It now enjoys an extensive trade through the lakes ; - 
and this circumstance would render it of the highest con- 
sequence to the country, but for the fevers which check 
its population in a considerable degree. Few rivers exceed 
the Alleghany in clearness of water and rapidity of cur- 
rent. It seldom fails to mark its course across the mouth of 
the Monongahela, in the highest freshes or floods. This is 
easily observed by the colour of the water ; that of the 
latter being very muddy, and the other's clear. In high 
floods the junction of these rivers presents a pleasing view p 

* Formerly called Presqn'isle. 
t An established commuDicatioH by land, to a Davigable waters' 



AMERICA. 45 

Ihe Monongahela flowing sometimes full of ice, but the 
Alleghany transparent and free. It is delightfully inters- 
persed with cultivated farms and encreasing towns on its 
banks, and bids fair to be settled from its mouth, to its 
source. The trade up and down this river has become an 
object of much importance to the lower settlements ; there 
being a great demand for flour, whiskey, apples, cyder, 
beer, bacon, glass, iron, &c. at the difierent ports on the 
lakes, and among the inhabitants of the surrounding coun- 
try. The quantity of salt which comes from Onondargo,. 
in the state of New York, through the lakes, and thence 
down this river, is so immense as to be sufficient for the 
supply of all the western country. 

The Alleghany rises near Sinemahoning creek; a navi- 
gable stream ihat falls into the Susquehanna, to which 
there is a portage of only twenty-three miles. Thence it 
meanders, receiving many tributary streams; and in about 
a south vveserly direction joins the Monongahela at Pitts- 
burg ; where these two rivers lose their Uumes, and to- 
gether form the Ohio. 

Walerford (originally called Le Bccvf) is fifteen miles 
from Krie : it was laid out by the state of Pennsylvania, 
and is now increasing. This is one of the western port« 
which were evacuated only a few years ago. In my way 
heiice to Neadville, a distance of forty-two miles, I had 
to pass through Le £«>?//" Lake, Muddy-creek and Dead- 
water ; a passage void of any lively interest ; and danger- 
ous in respect to shallows, rapids, and stagnated vapours 
rising out of ponds near its banks and their immediate 
neighbourhood. 

Meadville is pleasantly situated on French-creek : it is 
in a prosperous condition ; and is a seat of justice for the 
counties of Erie, Warren, Venango, and Crawford, in the 
last of which it stands. Tliis town carries on a considera- 
ble trade : it contains about fifty houses, and several 
stores. 

The distance fiom Meadville to Big-sugar-creek and 
Franklin,, is thirty miles. From the mouth of the creek, 
there is a considerable fall, all the way to Franklin. Thac 
town is seated just below the creek, where it joins the Al- 
leghany; is a post-town, containing about forty houses 
and several stores ; and is the principal place of Venango 
county. Twenty-five miles from it is a very dangerous 



^6 TRAVELS IN 

spot called Montgomery's-falls. The channel of the li vei- 
ls on the left side of a large rock, directly in the middle of 
the falls : by keeping this in view, there is no danger : 
though the descent is rapid, and the boat difficult to steer. 
Three miles lower is a very rocky place, called Ewall's- 
defeat : the channel is on the east side, near the shore. 
Thence to Freeport, a distance of eighty miles, the river is 
full of eddies, ripples, rapids, rocks and other djangers, 
which it recjuires the utmost attention to avoid. In some 
of the ripples, the water runs at the rate of ten miles an 
hour ; and a boat will go at the rate of twelve without any 
other assistance than the steering oar, Freeport lies at 
the mouth of Buft'alo-crcek, which falls into the river on- 
the west ; and opposite to it are received the waters of 
the Kiskeminetas. Sandy-creek is thirty-tv/o miles from 
Freeport : at its mouth a vessel of J6'0 tons burthen w^as 
lately launched, filled with a cargo, and thence sailed for 
the West Indies. This creek is but ten miles from Pittb- 
burg. 

The river is interspersed with several small islands, 
which have a very pleasing effect : though they interrupt 
the navigation, and render it particularly dangeroivs 
at night ; as the current has a tendency at times to cast 
a boat on the points of islands, and- on the sand-bar^ 
whicb project from them. I could hear of but few ob*- 
jects of curiosity worth observing : I visited indeed the 
seat of some old Indian settlements, but did not (ind them 
distinguished by the fine features v/hich characterize the 
ruins near Brownsville. Not far from Pittsburg is a well 
which has its surface covered with a bituminous matter rc- 
liem.bling oil ;- and which the neighbouring inhabitants col- 
lect, and use in ointments and other medicinal prepara- 
tions. The vapour rising from this well is inflammable ; 
and has been known lo hang in a lambent state over the 
orifice, being fed by fresh exhalations, for severalhours to- 
gether. The medical men of Pittsburg profess to have an- 
alyzed this oil ; and to have discovered in it a variety of 
virtues, if applied according to their advice. They also 
extol the water of the Alleghany, and send their patients 
to bathe in it when the season permits: to this water is as- 
cribed the faculty of strengthening weak stomachs, and 
aiding digestion. Those who are afflicted with habitual 
vomiUugs too (a complaiut not uncommon heroj,, are said 



AMERICA. 47 

-to find relief from drinking it. Such persons resort to 
Pittsburg for this purpose, and ra.ake a favourable report of 
the effects of their libations : though I am of opinion, that 
the amendment which they experience is to be attributed 
to their refraining from spirituous liquors, the primitive 
cause of their malady ; and not to any peculiar virtue in 
this beautiful flood, which is supplied by effusions of melt- 
ed snow from the mountains, and the waters of lakes, nei» 
ther of which sources is by any means healthy. ^ 

The Onondargo, which (as I observed) has a portage- 
communication with this river, is a fine .lake of brackish 
water, surrounded by springs, from two to five hundred 
gallons of the water of which make a bushel of salt. It ap- 
pears as if nature expressly intended this region to be po- 
pulated, and, as a strong temptation, placed this treasure 
in the bosom of hills and woods. Had it not been for 
these and similar springs dispersed through the western 
country, salt must have been at such a price as to deter 
.persons from settling there. All the animals of those parts 
have a great fondness for salt. The cattle of farmers who 
give this substance to their stock, prove superior in value 
by 25 per cent, to such as are not supplied with an article 
so essential not only to their general improvement, but 
their health. The native animals of the country too, 9s 
«<the buffalo, elk, deer, &:c. are well known to pay peri- 
odical visits to the saline springs and lakes, bathing and 
^washing in them, and drinking the water till they are 
hardly able to remove from their vicinity. The best roads 
to the Onondargo from all parts, are the buffiilo-tracks ; 
so called from having been observed to be made by the 
buffaloes in their annual visitations to the lake from their 
pasture ground? ; and though this is a distance of above 
two hundred miles, the best surveyor could not have cho- 
sen a more direct course, or firmer or better ground. I 
have often travelled these tracks with safety and admira- 
tion. I perceived them chosen as if by the nicest judg- 
ment ; and when at times I was perplexed to find them 
.revert on themselves nearly, \v\ parallel lines, I soon found 
it occasioned by swamps, ponds, or precipices, which the 
animals knew how to avoid ; but that object being effect- 
ted, the road again swept into its due course, and bore 
towards its destination as if under the direction of a com- 
";»iass. 



48 TRAVELS IN 

An old man, one of the first settlers in this country, 
built his log-house on the immediate borders of a salt 
spring. He informed me that for the first several seasons, 
the buffaloes paid him their visits with the utmost regular- 
ity ; they travelled in single files, always following eacii 
other at equal distances; forming droves, on their arrival, 
of about three hundred each. The first and second years, 
so unacquainted were these poor brutes with the use of 
this man^ house or with his nature, that in a few hours 
they rubbed the house completely down ; taking delight in 
turning the logs off with their horns, while he had some 
difficulty to escape from being trampled under their feet, 
or crushed to death in his own ruins. At that period he 
supposed there could not have been less than ten thousand 
in the neighbourhood of the spring. They sought for no 
manner of food ; but only bathed and drank three or four 
times a day, and rolled in the earth ; or reposed, witk 
their flanks distended, in the adjacent shades ; and on the 
fifth and sixth days separated into distinct droves, bathed, 
drank, and departed in single files, according to the ex- 
act order of their arrival. They all rolled successively in 
the same hole ; and each thus carried away a coat of mud, 
to preserve the moisture on their skin ; and which, when 
hardened and baked by the sun, would resist the stings of 
millions of insects that otherwise would persecute these 
peaceful travellers to madness or even death. 

In the first and second years this old man with some 
companions killed from six to seven hundred of these no- 
ble creatures, merely for the sake of the skins, which to 
them were worth only two shillings each ; and after this 
*' work of death," they were obliged to leave the place 
till the following season ; or till the wolves, bears, pan- 
thers, eagles, rooks, ravens, &c. had devoured the car- 
casses, and abandoned the place for other piey. In the 
two following years, the same persons killed great num- 
bers out of the first droves that arrived, skinned them, 
and left the bodies exposed to the sun and air ; but they 
soon had reason to repent of this ; for the remaining droves, 
as they came up in succession, stopped, gazed on the man- 
gled and putrid bodies, sorrowfully moaned or furiously 
lowed aloud, and returned instantly to the wilderness in 
an unusual run, without tasting their favourite spring, or 
Hcking the impregnated earth, which w»* also once tiieir 



AMERICA. 49 

most agreeable occupation ; nor did they, or any of tlieir 
race, ever revisit the neighbourhood. 

The simple history of this spring, is that of every other 
in the settled parts of this western world ; the carnage of 
beasts was every where the same. I met with a man who 
had killed two thousand buffaloes with his own hand ; and 
others, no doubt, have done the same. In consequence 
pf such proceedings, not one buffalo is at this time to be 
found east of the Mississippi ; except a few domesticated 
by the curious, or carried through the country as a public 
«hew. The first settlers, not content with this sanguinary 
extermination of the animal, also destroyed the food to 
which it was most partial ; which was cane, growing in 
forests and brakes of immeasurable extent. To this the 
unsparing wretches set fire in dry seasons ; in order to drive 
out every living creature, and then hunt and persecute 
them to death. 

Deer, which also abounded in this country, have nearly 
shared the Siime fate as the bufialoes ; and they too would 
be entirely annihilated, if they were not capable of sub- 
sisting in places almost inaccessible to man. The small 
number that remain, frequent the mountains ; their de- 
sire for the water of the saline springs however, occasion- 
ally brings them into the plains, where they do not want 
for enemies : there being no settler who would not aban- 
don the most important business, in order to pursue this 
species of game. What was formerly common to all in 
consequence of the multitude of herds daily passing back- 
ward and forward, can now only gratify a few ; for they 
esteem the death of this fine animal a triumph, and neg- 
lect no opportunity of thus distinguishing themselves over 
their associates. On killing a deer, he is immediately 
skinned, even whik yet palpitating ; nor are the bowels 
taken out, lest the hide should shrink. The haunches alone 
are valued as food ; the rest is either given to the dogs, or 
left for beasts of prey or vermin, which every where 
abound. 

The salt lake and springs are also frequented by all the 
other kinds of beasts, and even by birds ; and from the 
most minute enquiries, I am justified in asserting that their 
visitations were periodical ; except doves, which appear 
to deli9;ht in the neighbourhood of impregnated springs, 
.*nd to make them their constant aliode. In such situations. 
E 



m TRAVELS IN 

they are seen in immense numbers, as tame as domestic 
pigeons, but rendered more interesting by their solitary 
notes and plaintive melody. 

In descending the river, and traversing immense tracts 
of meadow and woodlands wbich are in a state of nature, 
I have found the atmosphere, after a hot day, so mephitie 
and offensive, as to give me vomitings and head-aches, 
which undoubtedly would have terminated in a yellow or 
intermittent fever if I had not previously fortified my blood 
with bark and other preventives. I recommend the same 
precaution to every person visiting this part of the world, 
and also to avoid studiously the night air. I hare been 
wet with a dew so strong and palpable as to feel its effects 
for several days, in a general chill through ray body, and 
a pain through particular bones. Yet in consequence of 
the violent heat of the day, people frequently defer their 
journeys and most of their pleasures, till the night ; but. 
a sad experience exposes the danger of the practice, in the 
strong language of rheumatism, consumption, and mental 
xlebility and distress. 

You will ask me perhaps what parts of the country in 
the neighbourhood of the rivers which 1 have described, 
are likely to secure the blessings of health. I answer at 
once, though in direct contradiction to various writers, 
that no part of the western country is healthy ; and I 
have already detailed my motives for this assertion. For 
if the air is impregnated (as is undoubtedly the case) with 
a poisonous exhalation so offensive to the constitution of 
the brute creation as to compel them to migrate several 
hundred miles annually in search of an antidote (which I 
conclude to be the real cause of their visits to the salt lake 
and springs,) what must be its operation on man ; whose 
organization is much more feeble ; and whose blood, from 
the manner of his subsistence, is more subject to be pol- 
luted by the climate, and the various other elements of 
disease ! 

I allow that there are situations less dangerous than oth- 
ers ; for hills and eminences are evidently more favourable 
than plains and valleys; yet the Americans universally . 
build in valleys, and on bottoms as they call them : which 
latter are plains formed by subsiding waters and from putrid 
ingredients, and subject to occasional overflows and partial 
But tliis too can be accouated for ; the bor- 



AMERICA, 51 

^ers of rivers and navigable streams, arc the theatres of 
business ; and the Americans are too indolent to live on 
the high grounds, and to have the trouble of descending 
daily for the purpose of pursuing their avocations. They 
every moment see the consequences of this conduct ; they 
see their friends fall off, their wives and children languish, 
and their own constitutions fail ; still they persist ; and 
prefer inactivity and disease to health and comfort, when 
the latter are to be purchased by exertion. 

Before I leave the subject of these two rivers, I must 
give you some few particulars of the manner in which their 
commerce is conducted. 

I do not conceive that I assert too much, though it may 
be surprising to you, in saying, that the entire business of 
these waters is conducted without the use of money. I 
have already enumerated the produce ; consisting chiefly 
of flour, corn, salt, cyder, apples, live hogs, bacon, glass,, 
earthenware, &c. Ihave also mentioned the little towns 
and settlements along them. To such places persons come 
from Baltimore and Philadelphia Avith British goods, which 
they exchange for the above productions ; charging on 
their articles at least 300 fer cent, and allowing the far- 
mer and manufacturer but very, low terms for theirs. Some 
of these prices are as follows : whiskey, two shillings a 
gallon ; live hogs, two dollars and a half a hundredweight ;; 
bacon, three dollars a hundred weight ; flour, three dollars 
a barrel ; corn, a quarter-dollar a bushel ; butter, an 
eighth of a dollar a pound ; cyder, four dollars a barrel ; 
native sugar, a sixteenth of a dollar a pound ; and so on 
in proportion, for any other produce of the country. The 
storekeepers make two annual collections of these commo- 
dities ; send them down the rivers to New Orleans ; and 
there receive an immense profit in Spanish dollars, or bills 
on Philadelphia at a short date. They then purchase 
British and West India goods of all -kinds ; send them by 
waggons, over the mountains, to their stores in the wes- 
tern country, where they always keep clerks ; and again 
make their distributions and collections ; descend the wa- 
ters ; and return by the same circuitous mountainous 
route, of at least 5650 miles, as nearly as can be calcu- 
lated on an average between the extreme head of the wa- 
ters and Pittsburg, thusi 



52 TRAVELS IN 

Elites-. 

From each station to N ew Orleans - - - 2300 

rroni New Orleans to Philadelphia by sea - - 3000 

From Philadelphia back to each stalion, by the } a^.v 

way of the Alleghany mountains 5 

Total 5650 

A few, oiv receiving their cash at New Orleans, return by 
land through the wilderness, Tennasee, and Kentucky, 
t(' their stations at and above Pittsburg ; but this is sel- 
dom done. The distance which is thus performed is only 
1300 miles. 

These storekeepers are obliged to keep every article 
which it is possible that the farmer and manufacturer may 
want. Each of their shops exhibits a complete medley ; 
a magazine where are to be had both a needle and an an- 
chor, a tin pot and a large copper boiler, a child's whistle 
and a pianoforte, a ring dial and a clock, a skein of thread 
and trimmings of lace, a check frock and a muslin gown, 
a trieze coat and a superfine cloth, a glass of whiskey and 
a barrel of brandy, a gill of vinegar and hogshead of Ma- 
deira wine, &c. Hence you will perceive that money is 
not always necessary as a circulating medium : however, 
as farmers and manufacturers advance in business, and 
lind their produce more ihun equal to the wants of their 
families, they contract with the storekeeper to receive the 
annual balance of the latter, either in cash, or in land 
to an equal amount ; for though no person cultivates a 
tenth part of the land that he possesses, every one is ani- 
mated with the rage of making further accessions. Ihus 
the great landholders ultimately absorb all the hard mo- 
ney ; and as they principally reside in the large towns in 
the Atlantic States, the money finds its way back to those, 
and leaves many places here without a single dollar. This 
is productive of distressing incidents to small farmers who 
supply the markets M'ith provisions ; for whatever they 
Lave to sell, whether trivial or important, they receive in 
jeturn nothing but an order on a store for the value in 
goods ; and as the wants of such persons are few, they 
seldom know what articles to take. The storekeepers turn 
J his ctrcumstance to advantage, and frequently force on 
the customer a thing for which he has no use ; or, what h 
worse, when the order is trifling, tell him to sit down at 
the door and drink the amount if he chooses. As this is 



AMERICA, Sa 

often complied with, a market day is mostly a scene of 
drunkenness and contention, fraud, cunning, and dupli- 
city ; the storekeeper denying tije possession of a good ar- 
ticle, till he fails in imposing a bad one. I have known a 
person ask for a pair of shoes, and receive for answer that 
there were no shoes in the store, but some capital gin that 
could be recommended to him. I have heard another ask 
for a rifle gun, and be answered that there were no rifles, 
but that he could be accommodiited with the best Dutch 
looking glasses and German flutes in the western country. 
Another was directed by his wife to bring her a warming 
pan, smoothing irons, and scrubbing brushes ; but these 
were denied ; and a wooden- cuckoo-clock, which the chil- 
dren would not take a week to demolish, was sent home in 
their st<?ad. I could not help smiling at these absurdities, 
though I believe they deserve the name of impositions, till 
an incident I'educed me to the condition of those whom I 
have just described. I rode an excellent "horse to the 
head of the waters ; and finding him of no further nse 
from my having to take boat there, I proposed selling hini 
to the best bidder^ I was oitered in exchange for him salt,, 
flour, hogs, land, cast iron salt pans, Indian corn, whis- 
key — in short, every thing but what I wanted, which was 
money. The highest offer made, was cast iron salt pans' 
to the amount of a hundred and thirty dollars. I asked 
the proprietor of this heavy commodity, how much cash, 
he would allow me instead of such an incumbrance ; his 
answer was, -without any shame or hesitation, yor^j/ </o/- 
lars at most. I preferred the pans ; thougli they are to 
be exchanged again for glass bottles at Pittsburg, tobacco 
or hemp in Kentucky, and dollars in New Orleans. These 
various commercial processes may occupy -twelve monihs ; 
nor am I then certain of the amount, unless 1 give 30 jser 
cent, to secure it. 

The words buy anr? sell are nearly unknown here ; inr- 
business nothing is heard but the word trade. " Will you 
trade your watch, your gun, pistols, horses ? »!\:c." nieans, 
•' Will you change your watch, gun, &c. for corn, pigs,, 
cattle, Indian meal ? &c." But you must anticipate all 
this from the absence of money. 



• E ,2. 



il4 TRAVELS I>* 



LETTER VIL 

Traces of a general deluge. Other great natural phenome^ 
na, difficult to be accounted for. Peculiar bonders of the 
vegetable and of the fossil kingdom. List of native plants^ 
classed info 7nedicinal, esculent, ornafncntal^and iiseful. Ve* 
get able products of the earth. Important inquiries and sug- 
gestions concerning some of them. Abundance of vegetable 
and 7nineral productions here^ivhick might be turned to great 
account if properly explored; American warriors ; states- 
7ne?iy and debates in Congress ; divines, lawyers, physi- 
cians, and philosophers. Buffon's assertion correct, that 
both man and inferior animals degenerate in America* 

Pittsburg, January, 1806. 

Before I leave this place, it may be interesting and 
profitable to take a general survey of the face of the coun- 
try, and to describe some of its primitive productions. 

That Moses gave an account worthy of credit, of the 
primeval state of the globe, this part of the world fully 
demonstrates. It abounds in irresistible proofs of a gene- 
ral deluge, of a miraculous effusion of water from the 
clouds and from the great abyss ; or such an effusion may 
possibly have originated from the great Southern Ocean ;. 
runr.ing, from interruptions, a south east course, and dri- 
ving every object before it to the north west ; where it de- 
posited remains now entirely unknown, or appertaining to 
legions at a distance of several thousand miles. Whether 
we inspect the plains, penetrate the caverwous mountains, 
©r climb their broken sides, the remnants of organized bo- 
dies are every where found, buried in the various strata 
•which form the external surface of the earth. Immense 
collections of shells lie scattered or sunk around, and some 
on elevations of fifteen thousand feet above the present le- 
vel of the sea. Fishes are frequently found in the veins of 
slate, and all kinds of vegetable impressions occur at 
Iieighis and depths equally astonishing. 'I'rces of diHeront 
sorts, and various })lants, are found in the greatest dej>lhs 
or on the loftiest DunHitains, mixed with marine remains. 
Trees have also been deposited on the summits of moun- 
tains, where, from the degree of cold which prevails there. 



AMERICA. SB 

they could not now possibly grow ; therefore they must 
either have grown there at a time when the temperature 
of these summits was warmer by being less elevated above 
the sea, or have been deposited there by its inundations*. 
It appears by the general face of the country, that the re- 
treat of the sea was gradual. Large plains of different 
and successive elevations, a uniformity and regularity in 
the strata, and a variety of other circumstances, indicate 
the departure of the waters to have been governed by a 
cause whose action was regular, uniform, and hmg con- 
tinued. Hence numerous objects which are now viewed 
as curious exotics, might have been indigenous at the pe* 
riod of a milder clime. This idea is justified by our know- 
ledge of the effect of elementary conflicts in other situa- 
tions. The country near Ararat is now unfit to bear the 
olive tree, as it did* when the Caspian and Euxine seas 
were joined ; the soil having been since chilled by its dis* 
tance from the sea, and having suffered from the absence 
of matter with which it was accustomed to be impregna- 
ted. 

Independently of the appearance given to this portion 
of the globe, by the progress of the invasion of the wa- 
ters from the great abyss, and their subsequent retreat, it 
presents features which must have been the result of cau- 
ses difficult to be accounted for. These features manifest 
themselves in the extraordinary character and form of the 
mountains ; in the beds of t)ie rivers, which are not ex- 
cavated by the constant flow of their water, but seem rent 
asunder (as it were) to give them instant passage ; and by 
other phenomena which must have proceeded from violent 
earthquakes ; igneous fusion ; or elementary fire (tho 
principle of heat coeval with the creation of matter) act- 
ing upon metals, sulphur, carbonic and bituminous sub- 
stances, and thus occasioning vast eruptions which split 
the face of the earth, and gave it eccentric and new char- 
acters. Huge rocks cast from off the summits of hilis, 
make room for lakes ; entire ridges of stony mountains se- 
parate, aiid yield a passage to the pressing floods ; im- 
mense caverns resound beneath the feet ; and Nature, in 
disorder, chaos, and contusion, seems pleased to exhibit 



Genesis, chapter 8, verse^lJ. 



56 TRAVELS IN 

stupendous monuments of her power, the principles oi 
which she has endowed us with faculties to comprehend. 

This country, in consequence of its high antiquity, the 
immensity of its mountains, and the impossibility of its 
being afi'ected by the violation and ravages of man, pre- 
sents a field extremely favourable for the investigations of 
philosophy and the discoveries of truth. Here, free from 
any artificial garment, Nature is exhibited in her primitive 
state. The first productions of the earth were probably 
the winter mosses ;. they are here in such variety of form, 
that they hardly yield to herbs in number ; and though 
extremely minute, yet of so admirable a structure that 
nothing can excel then\ in beauty or variety. These mos- 
ses are dried up in summer ',.. but in winter revive, and 
serve for the food of deer and other animals. The widely 
disseminated herbs, flowers, and fruits,, also decorate the 
earth in the most charming manner. Trees grow here to 
an excessive magnitude ; and by Aveaving their branches 
together, defend the ground from excessive heat and cold, 
and afford shelter to animals against the injuries of the 
weather. The hills, vales, and caverns, also supply nu- 
merous subjects for contemplation. There may be seen 
the laborious and unremitted industry of the fossil king- 
dom ; the manner in whjch water deposits clay;, how it 
is crystalized into sand near the shore ; how it wears 
down shells and other substances into chalk, dead plants 
into vegetable mould, and metals into ochre ; from all 
which matter, according to certain laws of nature, stones 
are formed. Thus from sand originates whetstone ; from 
mould, slate; from chalk, flint; from shelh and earth, 
marble ; and from clay, ttilc. In the cavities of these 
are formed concrete pellucid crystals ; which, consisting 
of various sides opposed to each other, compose a num- 
ber of regular figures, and emit brilliant and prismatic 
colours. Here also may be, in formation, ponderous and 
shining metals ; iron in abundance ; some lead ; silver ; 
and even the ductile gold, which eludes the violence of 
fire, and can be extended in length and breadth to a m.obt 
astonishing degree. It is said that the magnet too has been 
found here ; the magnet, respecting which no mortal has 
hitherto been able to learn the secret law of its mutual at- 
traction wi^h iron, or of its constant inclination to the- 
poles. None of these metals, however, except iron, ar«i 



AMERICA. 



57 



found in such quantity, or are so common, as to be worth 
the labour of search ; but mineral coal abounds so gen- 
erally, that an opinion prevails that the whole tract be- 
tween the Laurel mountain, Mississippi, and Ohio, would 
yield it in the greatest plenty. The mountain immediate- 
ly opposite to this town is principally composed of coal, 
from the base to the summit. It is worked with little 
comparative trouble, about halfway up ; and rolled down 
to boats which lie below for its reception. It is of a very 
superior quality, and costs the citizens about two pence 
halfpenny a bushel. 

As I do not Conceive it interesting to you to receive a 
complete catalogue of trees, plants, fruit, &c. I shall 
only sketch out those which principally attract notice, as 
being, 1. Medicinal ; 2. Esculent ; 3. Ornamental ;. 
4. Useful ; adding (from Mr. Jefferson's list) the Linneaii 
to the popular name. I confine myself to native plants; 

Medicinal. 



Popular name. 
Senna. 
Arsmart. 

Clivers, or Goose-grass. 
Lobelia, several sorts. 
Palma Christi. 
James's Town Weed. 
Mallow. 
Syrian Mallow. 

Indian Mallow. 

Virginia Marshmallow. 

Indian Physic. 
Euphrobia Ipecacuanha^ 
Pleurisy Root. 
Virginia Snake Root. 
Seneca Rattle-snake Rt. 
Valerian 
Gentian. 

Ginseng. 



Linnean name. 

Cassia Ligustrina. 
Polygonum Sagittarum. 
Galium Spurium. 

Racinus. 

Datura Stramonium. 
Malva Rotundifolia. 
Hibiscus Moschentos. 
Hibiscus Virginicus. 
Sida llhombifolia. 
Sida Abutilon. 
!Napa3a Ilermaphrodita. 
Napaea Dioica. 
Spiraea Trifoliata. 

Asclepias Decumbens. 
Actsea Racemosa. 
Polygala Senega. 
Valeriana locusta radiata. 
Gentiana, Sapouaria, Vel- 

losa, et Centaurium. 
Panax Quinquefolium. 



^% 



Angelica. 

Col umbo Root. 

Tobacco.. 



TRAVELS IN 

Angelica &ylve5tris» 



Nicotiana. 



Es^CULENT. 



^v 



Tuckahoe, 

Jerusalem Artichoke, 
Long Potatoes. 
Granadellas* 
Panic. 

Indian Millet 
Wild Oat. 
Wild Pea. 
Lupine. 
Wild Hop. 
Wild Cherry. 
Cherokee Plumb.. 

Wild Plumb. * 

Wild Crab- Apple. 
Red Mulberry. 
Persimmon. 
Sugar Maple. 
Scaly-bark Hickory. 

Common Hickory. 

Faccan, or lllenois Nut. 

Black Walnut. 

White Walnut.. 

Chesnwt. 

Chinquapin. 

Hazel Nut. 

Grapes. 

Scarlet Strawberries. 

Whortleberries. 

Wild Gooseberies. 

Cranberries. 

Black Raspberries. 

Blackberries. 

JJew berries. 



Lycaperdon Tuber. 
Hebanthus Tuberosus., 
Convolvulas Batatas. 
Passiflora Incarrata. 
Panicum, many species. 
Holcus Laxus. 
Zizania Aqutica. 
Dolichos of Clayton. 
Lupinus Percnnis, 
Humulus Lupulus* 
Prunus Virginiana. 
Prunus Sylvestris fructit 

maj.ori. 
Prunus Sylvestris fructu 

minori, 
Pyrus Coronaria. 
Morus Rubra. 
Diospyros Virginiana. 
Acer Saccharinum. 
Juglans Alba cortice Lyu- 

moso. C, 
Juglans Alba, fructu mi- 

nore rancedo. C. 
Unknown to Linnaeus. 
Juglans Nigra. 
Juglans Alba. 
Fagus Castanea, 
Fagus Pumila. 
Cory 1 us Avellana. 
Vitis, various sorts. 
Fragaria Virginiana. 
Vacceneum Uligniosum. 
Ribes Grossularia. 
Rubus Oxycoecos. 
Rubus Occidentalis. 
Rubus Fruticosus. 
Rubus C^sius. 



AMERICA. 



^9 



Cloudberries, 

Maize. 

Round Potatoes, 

Pumpkins, 

Cymlings. 

Squashes, 



Rubus Chamacmorus, 
Trea Mays.. 
Solanum Tuberosum. 
Cucurbita Pepo. 
Cucurbita Verrucosa* 
Cucurbita Melopepp, 



Ornamental. 



Plane Tree. 

Poplar. 

Black Poplar. 

Yellow Poplar, 

Aspin. 

Linden, or Lime, 

Red flowering Mapl^ 

Horse Chesnut^ 

Catalpa. 

Umbrella. 

Swamp Laurel. 

Cucumber Tree, 

Portugal Bay. 

Red bay. 

Dwarf- rose Bay. 

Laurel of the west'n country. 

Wild Pimento, 

Sassafras. 

Locust. 

Honey Locust. 

Dagwood. 

Snow Drop. 

Barbery. 

Red Bud, or Judas Tree. 

Holly. 

Cockspur Hawthorn, 

Spindle Tree. 

Evergreen Tree. 

Elder. 
Papaw. 

Candleberry Myrtle. 
Dwarf Laurel. 
Jvy. 



Platanus Occidentalis. 
Lerisdendron Tulipifera. 
Populus Nigra. 

Populus Tremula. 
Tilia Americana, 
Acer Rubrum. 
iEsculus Pavia. , 
Bignonia Catalpa. 
Magnolia Tripetala, 
Magnolia Glauca, 
Magnolia Acuminata. 
Laurus Indica. 
Laurus Barbonia. 
Rhododendron Majiimum. 
Many species. 
Lurus Benzoin, 
Laurus Sassafras. 
Robinia Spuedo-acacia, 
Gleditsia. 
Cornus Florida. 
Chionanthus Virginica. 
Buberis Vulgaris. 
Cercis Canadensis. 
Ilex Aquifolium. 
Crata3gus Coccenea. 
Euonimus Europaus. 
Euonimus Americanus, 
Itea Virginica. 
Sambucus Nigra. 
Annona Triloba, 
Myrica Cerifera. 
Kalmia Angustifolia. 
Hedera Quiaquefoliat 



60 



TRAVELS^ IN 



Trumpet Honeysuckle. 
Upright Honeysuckle. 
Yellow Jasmine. 

American Aloe. 
Sumach, 
Poke. 
Long ^loss. 



Lonicera Serapervirens. 
Azalia Nudiflora. 
Begnonea Sempervirens. 
Calythanthus Fioridus. 
Agave Virginica. 
Rhus, many species. 
Phytoloca Decandra, 
Tellandsia Usneoides, 



Useful, for fabrication. 



Reed. 

Virginia Hemp. 

Flax. 

Black, or Pitch Pine. 

White Pine. 

Yellow Pine. 

Spruce Pine. 

Plemlock Spruce Fir, 

Arbor Vitae. 

Juniper. 

Cypress. 

White Cedar. 

Red Cedar. 

Black Oak. 

White Oak. 

Red Oak. 

Willow Oak. 

Chesnut Oak. 

Black Jack Oak, 

Ground Oak. 

Live Oak. 

Black Birch. 

White Birch. 

Beach. 

Ash, several species. 

Elm. 

Willow, several species. 

Sweet Gum. 



Arundo Phoagmitis. 

Acneda Cannabina. 

Lenum Virgineanum. 

Pinus Tasda. 

Piri"? Sfrobus. 

Pinus Virginica. 

Pinus Foljis Singularibus 

C . 
Pinus Canadensis. 
Thuya Occidentalis. 
Juniperus Virginica. 
Cupussus Disticha. 
Cupussus Thyoides. 

Quercus Nigra.. 
Quercus Alba. 
Quercus Rubra. 
Quercus Phellos. 
Quercus Prinus. 
Quercus Aquatica. 
Quercus Pumila. 
Quercus Virginiana. 
Be tula Nigra. 
Betula Alba. 
Fagus Sylvatica.' 
Fraxinus Americana, 
Ulmus Americana. 
Salix. 
Liquidanbar Styracifera. 



There are numerous plants, flowers, &c. wbich I have 
4jmitted : you will find a scfcntific account of them ip tii^ 



AMERICA. 6l 

FIdra Virginica, of the celebrated Dr. Clayton published 
at Leyden, in 176"2. 

After this enumeration it is unnecessary to tell you that 
the farms of the country produce wheat, rye, barley, oats, 
buck-wheat, broom-corn, Indian corn, &c. This neigh- 
bourhood also cultivates hemp, flax, and hops; but is not 
favourable to cotton, indigo, rice, or tobacco. Those ar- 
ticles however are to be had down the Ohio, and ar« 
brought hither at an expense of about two-pence j^er pound. 
All kinds of vegetables and fruit grow in great luxuriance : 
the former especially are superior to those of Europe : but 
in consequence of the high price of labour, and the little 
attention paid to so interesting a branch of rural econo- 
Ciiy, they are not quite so cheap. 

Much has been written and said respecting the arrack- 
tree : may it not be the same as the American cocoa ; or 
perhaps rather the sugar maple; which for many years suc- 
cessively yields a large quantity of rich sweet sap, whence 
9. fine sugar is made and spirit is distilled ? It also might be 
worth inquiry whether the cotton of the country, which 
is different from that raised in the islands, be not the same 
as that of which the Chinese make their fine calicoes and 
inuslins. It might be ascertained whether the common 
Indian hemp be not the same as the Chinese herba ; and 
whether the silk gathered on the trees in China, be any 
other than the cocoons which are to be found in great plen- 
ty in many situations here on trees and bushes. The manu- 
factured silk of the Chinese appears to be of different sorts, 
from which it is likely that they have different species of 
silk-worms. In this country, more to the southward, va- 
rious sorts of cocoons are found on trees and shrubs, but 
those on the mulberry are the best : the cocoons of some 
of them, particularly such as feed on the sassafras, arc 
large; and the substance which they produce, though not 
so fine, is much stronger, than that of the Italian silk- 
worm. Thus in my opinion there is reason to believe, tha^ 
if experiments were made with these indigenous silk-worms, 
apd if such as are most useful were propagated, this 
country might produce abundance of silk. 

Here are also many trees, plants, roots, and herbs, to 
the medicinal virtues and uses of which we are total strang- 
crg. It is perhaps true that the fruit of the prescmmon 
ttce has becji used in brcwi tig of beer; but it is hardly 



S^ TRAVELS IN 

known that one bushel of this fruit will yield abov« a gallon 
of proof spirit, of excellent quality and flavour. To what 
4>ther uses in pharmacy the gum, bark, and roots of this 
tree, which are very astringent, may be applied, the pub- 
lic is also ignorant. The virtues of the magnolia, calalpa, 
and spice-wood, whose odours extend several miles, are 
not sufficiently ascertained, though they have been used by 
the Indians who consider them as excellent remedies in 
several disorders^. There is another tree called the zam- 
Ihoxelum, the bark of which is of such a peculiar quality, 
that the smallest bit of it, on being chewed, stimulates the 
glands of the mouth iind tongue and occasions a flow of 
saliva equal to that of a salivation, while its action con- 
tinues, and yet no rational experiments have been made 
to ascertain the advantages to be derived from such ex- 
traordinary properties. A variety of other trees miglit be 
mentioned, such as the sassafras) the wild cinnamon; th^ 
magnolia altisima; whose fragrant smell and aromatic 
taste prove that tht^y possess medicinal qualities with which 
we are unacquainted. The shumack likewise requires ^x- 
aiiiination. Perhaps its seed or berries, if not the wood 
itself, wight be used in dying. The Indians mix its leaves 
with their tobacco to render it; odorific and pleasant ia 
^moaking. v There is a species of it which yields a gum, 
that nearly, if- not exactly, resembles the gum copal. In- 
deed there is reason to believe it is the very same. 

Wines and raisins are imported from foreign parts at an 
extravagant price, while nature points out that few coun- 
tries can be more proper than this forthe production of the 
grape. — Where lands are not cleared and the grape-vines 
not extirpated, it is impossible to resist observing and ad- 
miring the quantity which those natural vineyards present 
to the view. Farther down the Ohio, in the Indian 
territory and elsewhere, hills, vales, and plains, exhibit 
them in luxurious abundance. They grow spontaneously 
in every soil, and almost every climate in America ; yet 
they are neglected, or unskilfully encouraged on a small 
scale. 

It would be endless to recount all the other articles of 
the vegetable kingdom which are not investigated, though, 
with a little care and attention, they might become arti- 
cles of commerce, and be of infinite use to the country. 
J. must mention one plant, a native of this place, and wbick 



AMERICA. ^ 

growrs in many places, known commonly by the name of 
Indian hemp. Its bark is so strong that the Indians make 
use of it for bow-strings. Could a method be found for 
separating and softening its fibres, so as to render it duc- 
tile and fit to be spun into thread, it might serve as a sub- 
stitute for flax and hemp. This plant deserves to be cul- 
tivated on another account: the pod it bears contains a 
substance, that, from its softness and elasticity, might be 
used instead of the finest down. Its culture is easy, in as 
much as its root, which penetrates deep into the earth, sur-' 
vives the winter, and shoots out fresh stalks every spring* 
With the roots of plants, nearly unknown to us, the In- 
dians stain wood, hair, and skins, of a beautiful colour, 
and which preserves its lustre far years, though exposed to 
all extremes of the weather. With the juice of herbs they 
relieve many diseases, heal wounds, and cure the bite of 
the most venemous snakes. A perfect knowledge of these 
simples, and of many others with which this country a- 
bounds, might be of great utility to mankind. Perhaps 
they are in as great abundance here as in China. There- 
semblance is manifest in the weather, the climate, and 
possibly in the soil and produce. Tobacco, phitolacca, 
the presemmon tree, the mulberry, with several others, 
are natives of China as they are also of most parts of A- 
merica. Ginseng is gathered to the westward of Pekin, 
and has not been found in any other part of the world, ex- 
cept within the same degrees of latitude in this country, 
where ship-loads may be had at a short notice. These olr» 
servations give grounds to believe that, if proper inquiries 
were made, many more of the native plants of China, and 
very possibly, the tea, so much in use, and now become 
so necessary a part of diet might be found in America. 

Nor are the bowels of the earth sufficiently explored, 
notwithstanding the great encouragement received from the 
few experiments which have been made. There is here a 
great variety of clays, many of them so valuable as to in- 
duce a hope that, in time, porcelain equal to that brought 
from China, may be manufactured at home. The lands 
to the S. W. are so replete with nitre that, in various 
places, it appears like a hoar frost on the surface of the 
ground, and it is known that there are mines of saltpetre in 
the mountains. Besides the minerals 1 have mentioned, I 
Iftave seen specimens of tin, antimony, besmuth ores, and 



6'4^ TRAVELS IN 

many others, the nature, use and properties of which are 
iiot,surficiently ascertained. ^Vllat you have heard of the 
cottntry originates from the narratives of hunters, the re- 
ports of ignorant travellers, and the dreams of persons who 
never left their native homes. Whereas it richly merits, 
that a society of learned naturalists should visit it, under 
the patronage of government, explore with care, annalize 
with skill, and return enriched with useful knowledge and 
profitable erudition, derived from the great book of na- 
ture, and not from uncertain information, or false hypo- 
iheses. 

From these remarks concerning the riches yielded by 
its soil, I shall make rather an abrupt transition to what 
should rank as the far nobler produce of America, its in- 
habitants ; I now speak only of its civilized parts, the U- 
nitcd States ; but on this subject, alas ! it may be said 
with the greatest truth : 

" Man is the only growth that dwindles here." 

You may peihaps have heard so much of great Ameri- 
can warriors, statesmen, politicians, churchmen, lawyers, 
physicians, astronomers, &c. that you are astonished to 
Jiear any one bold enough to dispute the fact. 1 say the 
fact, because in my correspondence with you, you may 
have already perceived my determination of making no 
general assertion but such as I can establish by actual evi- 
tience and decisive testimonies. I know of no great war- 
riors, in x\merica. 1 cannot honour by that name even 
the men who overwhelmed a handful of British, and after 
several years combat obtained an unprofitable victory. 
Jn like manner I have known a shoal of herrings run down 
a whale on the coast of Cornwall, but it did not follow 
that 1 was to attribute this accident to the hidaidual proW' 
ess of anij of such contemptible animals, or to the absence 
of strength and capacity in the whale. This is so ju&t 
a picture of the American war and its close, that I hasten 
to the statesmen of whom your papers speak so much: 
and who are they ? I admit there are two in the country; 
the one after many years of public life devoted to a 
democratic party had the good sense again to become an 
apostate to monarchy, though he might have predicted 
that it would occasion his fall from the head of the gov- 
eninajent, and expose him t^ the most intenipei*ate abuse of 



AMERICA. 65 

the Jacobinical faction. He met these events soon after 
with a manly fortitude, and Mr. John Adams now leads a 
private life, beloved by the admirers of good sense, and 
sound and practical polilical economy. There is no doubt 
but that he is the first statesman in America, for I trust 
you do not mean me to distinguish by that name the swarm 
of politicians who clog the wheels of the government, and 
who affect that they alone are competent to the direction 
of national affairs. The next statesman to Mr. Adams, is 
Mr. Jefferson. This gentleman has more theoretical talent 
than sterling political ability. And yet to shew some re- 
spect to the cry of the world, I call him a statesman, 
though he certainly has betrayed more derelection and ter- 
giversation than ought to be accarded to so high and emi- 
nent a name. During the whole of his two precidencies 
he has been fluctuating between the interests of his coun- 
try and his prejudice and attachment ta the French gov- 
ernment. The remains of good sense and the loud admo- 
nitions of others, have at length prevailed, and though he 
continues his affeption to the gallic cock, still he ceases 
to hate and bully the British lion. There are in America no 
real politicians; the speeches you see in papers are made 
by Irish and Scotch journalists, who attend the Congress 
and Senate merely to take the spirit of their proceedings 
and clothe it with a language interesting to read. Attend- 
ing the debates of Congress on a day when a subject of 
consequence was to be discussed, I left the house full of 
contempt of its eloquence and the paucity of talent em- 
ployed for the support or condemnation of the question. 
Notwithstanding this I read in the next morning's gazette,, 
** that a debate took place in the house last rnght: of the 
most interesting nature ; that it was agitated by all the 
talent in the country. — particularly by Messieurs Dayton, 
Morgan, Gtty, Dawson, and whose brilliant speeches we 
lay before the public." Here follov/ed certainly eloquent 
orations, a sentence of which never passed in the house. I 
had the misfortune to attend the Congress at another time,, 
when the scone was more noisy and turbulent than at any 
of your electioneering hustings. — ^A Mr. Lyon, of Ver- 
mont, now of lientucky, not being able to disprove the- 
arguments of an opponent, spit directly in his face: this- 
the other resented by running to the fire and catching up 
i a hot poker, and in a short time nearly killed his opponent^ 
I V F 2 



6d TRAVELS IN 

and cleared the house. I suppose this is sufficient on thi» 
head; from it you cau readily learn that the Congress is a 
violent vulgar assembly, which hired persons attend, to de- 
bate on state affairs, and that the public newspapers are 
conducted by foreign editors, who amplify such debates^ 
and give them something of a polished and interesting 
character. 

Nor has the church any brighter ornaments than the 
state. The members of it have no conception of eloquence. 
Mt. Smith of Princeton College, has the highest repu- 
tation as a divine and orator., I went to hear hLm preach,, 
and had the mortification to find a transposed sermon of 
Blair, delivered in a strain of dull monotony. 

As the exposition of all law, and pleading of all facts. 
is confined to the province of attornies, I was not surpris- 
ed to find a want of ability and eloq-uence in that depart- 
ment. The late general Hamilton, a West-Indian by birth,. 
Avas the first attorney, and pleaded in America. The cel- 
ebrated Mr. Burr, was his rival at the bar; and since the 
death of the former, and retreat of the latter, a Mr. Liv-^ 
iugstone and a Mr. Emmet, alone enjoy repute. 

The physicians o( eminence are very few. Dr. Rush of 
Philadelphia, ajid Wilson of New York, monopolize all the 
character of the country, of a medical nature ;. and yet the 
yellow fever rages and carries off their ajjnual thousands,, 
tliough these gentlemen have written themselves into the 
i^ame of infallibility itself. There is no profession in Ame- 
rica, so shamefully neglected as that of physic, or more 
destituc of able practitioners. 

As to the department of science, I am toU that there 
has been a I'ranklin and a Rittenhouse ^ the former 
^one in electricity, and the latter cunstructed an orrery 
on true principles. I will allow this ; 1 have no disposition* 
to retract from the merits of such gentlemen, but X can- 
not admit that these two instances after the mediocrity of, 
genius, are sufficient to justify Mr. Jefferson, in sayings 
that America is the most enliglttcned country in the world f. 
and that M. Buffon was guilty of a gross error when he as- 
serted that man and beast degenerated in America, and- 
became in time inferior to tho^e of Europe. M. Buffon^ 
was perfectly right in his assertion and principle, but wrong 
in the proof he adduced. Mr. Jefferson took advantage of 
tiiis error; ail his followers haye taken his ground,, and 



AMERICA. . ^ 

jiothing is heard through the w.hole union, but " America 
is the most enlightened nation in the world." This cry has 
spread abroad ; is believed at home, and M. Buffon is con- 
demned. This is the natural fate of flattery and truth — 
Mr. Jefferson is held up as a great statesman and profound 
philosopher, while M. Buffon, is held in contempt as a 
prejudiced reasoner, jealous of the pride and honour of the 
quarter of the globe, which gave the former birth ! The re- 
flections likely to arise in your mind out of this, 1 shall 
Bot interrupt^ 



LETTER Yllh 



General view of the rher OkiOf and Bs Beauties-— -its advan- 
tages — its course — its islands — its depth and navigation — 
its obstructions might easily be removed, — Advice to per" 
sous wishing to descend the Ohio, 

Wheelings Virginia, on the Ohio^L April 1 806. 

YOU will perceive,. much to your satisfaction that I have 
left Pittsburg, whence I sent you so many tedious letters, 
and am about to descend the Ohio — Before however I 
commence that river's minute details, I must give you its 
general description. 

The Ohio commences at the junction of the Alleghanjr 
^nd Monangaheta rivers, and there also commences its 
beauty. It has been truly described as beyond competi- 
tion, the most beautiful river in the universe, whether it 
be considered for its meandering courge through an im- 
mense region of forests ', for its elegant banks, which af- 
ford innumerable delightful situations for cities, villages, and 
improved farms ; or for those many other advantages which 
truly entitle it to the name originally given it by the 
French, of** La belle riviere." This is the outline of a 
description given several years since, and it has generally 
been thought an exaggerated one. Now, the immense 
forests recede, cultivations smiles along its banks ; nume- 
rous villages and towns decorate its shores j and it is not 



e« TRAVELS IN 

extravagant to suppose, that the day is not far distant 
when its whole margin will form one continued series of 
villages and towns. 

The reasons for this gratifying supposition are many ; 
the principal ones are, the immense tracts of fine 
country that have communication with the Ohio by means- 
of its tributary navigable waters ; the extraordinary fer- 
tility, extent, and beauty of the river bottoms, generally 
high, dry, and productive ; and the superior excellence 
of its navigation, through means of which the various 
productions of the most extensive and fertile parts of the 
United States must eventually be sent to market. 

At its commencement at Pittsburg, it takes a north west 
course for about twenty live miles, then turns gradually to 
west south west, and pursuing that course for about hve 
hundred miles, winds to the south west for nearly one 
hundred and sixty miles ; then turns to the west for about 
two hundred and sixty miles ; thence south west for one 
hundred and sixty, and empties into the Mississippi in a 
south east direction, about eleven hundred miles below 
Pittsburg, and nearly the same distance above New Or- 
leans in lat. 36 43 north. It is so completely serpentine, 
that in several places a person taking observations of the 
sun or stars, will find that he sometimes entirely changes 
.his. direction, and appears to be going directly back ; but 
its general course is south, sixty degrees west. Its widtb 
is from five hundred to fifteen hundred yards ; but at the 
rapids, and near the mouth, it is considerably wider. 

The numerous islands that are interspersed in this river, 
add much to thegrandeur of its appearance, but they very 
much embarrass the navigation, particularly in low water,^ 
as they occasion a great many shoahi and sand bars. The 
soil of those islands is, for the most part, very rich, the 
timber luxuriant, ami the extent of some of them consid- 
erable. Where fruit trees have been planted, they are 
found to thrive, to bear well, and seldom fail of a crop.. 
Indeed this is the case wherever fruit trees have been tried 
on the river bottoms, the soil of which is very similar to 
that of the islands, though not quite so sandy. 

In times of high freshes, and during the effusion of ica 
and snow from the Alleghany and other mountains, vessels 
of almost any tonnage may descend ; and it is never so 
low but tliat it may be navigated by canoes and other light 



AMERICA. 69 

eraft, not drawing more than twelve inches water. The 
highest floods are in spring, when the river rises forty-five 
feet ; the lowest are in summer, when it sinks to twelve 
inches on the bars, ripples, and shoals where waggons, 
Carts, &c. frequently pass. Many of the impediments 
however which are to be met with when the water is low, 
might in a dry time be got rid of, and at no very conside- 
rable expense ; at least the expense would be by no means 
beyond the advantages which would accrue from the un- 
dertaking if properly managed. Rocks, that now during 
the dry season, obstruct or render dangerous the large flat 
bottomed, or what are called Kentucky boats, might bo 
bhistcd ; channels might be made through the ripples ; 
and the snags, and fallen timber along the banks entirely 
removed. 

These improvements, together with many others that 
might be enumerated, must undoubtedly, sooner or later, 
be carried into effect, as they are a national concern of 
the first importance. In the mean time, some general in- 
structions respecting the present navigation, and which I 
have collected from the most experienced watermen, will 
be found useful to those who may hereafter propose de- 
scending the river, and who are unacquainted both as to 
the manner this voyage is to be undertaken, and with the 
nature and channel of the different rivers. Do not let it 
be said notwithstanding, that I mean to encourage any per- 
son to follow ray steps or to reside on these waters. I re- 
peat, that the parts of the river's banks, favourable for 
tpwns, villages, farms, &c. are without exception, un- 
healthy — exposing all descriptions of inhabitants, especially 
new comers, to annual visitations of dissentery, flux, pleu- 
racy, and various species of intermittent fevers. 1 his is 
to be expected of rivers which experience such extraordi- 
nary and great vicissitudes ; at one period sufficient to car- 
ry a first rate man of war, and at another barely capable 
of floating a canoe ; at one period running at seven miles 
an hour, and at another nearly stagnate in an unruffled 
bed. 

The first thing to be attended to by emigrants, or tra- 
ders, wishing to descend the river, is to procure a boat, to 
be ready so as to take advantage of the times of flood, and 
to be careful that the boat be a good one ; for many of 
the accidents thai happen in navigating the Ohio and Mis- 



ro TRAVELS IN 

sissippi, are owing to the unpardonable carelessness an# 
penuriousness of the boat builder, who will frequently- 
slight his work, or make it of injured plank ; in either case 
putting the lives and properties of a great many persons to 
manifest hazards This egregious misconduct should long 
before this time been rectilied, by -the appointment of a 
boat inspector at different places on the Monongahela. 
But as this has never been done^ it belongs to every person 
purchasing Kentucky boats, which is the sort I allude 
to, to get them narrowly examined before the embarka- 
tion, by persons who may know a little of the strengtlv 
and form of a boat suitable to a voyage of this kind. He 
must also remember this, tliat a boat destined for the Mis- 
sissippi, requires to be much stronger timbered, and some- 
what differently constructed^ from one designed only to 
descend the Ohio. 

Flat bottomed boats may be procureiF almost every 
where along the Monongahela river, and in some places^ 
on the Youghiogheny j very few are as yet built on the 
Alleghany, as the chief places of embarkation are confix 
ned to the Monongahela and Ohio. Keel boats and ves- 
sels of burden are also Uiilt at Brownsville, Elizabeth's- 
town, and nmny other places on the two last mentioned 
rivers. 

The best seasons for navigating the Ohio are spring and 
autumn. The spring season commences at the breaking 
up of the ice, which generally happens about the middle 
of February, and continues good for about three months. 
The autumn generally commences in Oetober, and con- 
tinues till about the iirst of December, when the ice be- 
gins to form. But the alternations of high water can scarce- 
ly be called periodical, as they vary considerably, accord- 
ing to the wetness or dryness of the season, or earliness 
or lateness of the setting in, or breaking up of winter. 
The winter of 1802 was even an exception to every other, 
the Monongahela not having been closed at all with ice, so 
that there was nothing to impede the passage of boats into 
the Ohio, &c. This circumstance is the more extraordi- 
nary, the winters in general being very severe, some oi 
which a few years past, kept the rivers blocked up for 
more than two months at a time. The cause of these sud- 
den and great changes may usefully occupy the philosophise 
mind. 



AMERICA. n 

Kor are freshes in the rivers entirely confined to the 
spring and autumn : it does not unfrequently happen that 
a considerable quantity of rain falls in the Apalachian 
ridges, whence the rivers and creeks that supply the Mo- 
nongahela proceed, during the summer months ; a swel- 
ling of the currents of the Alleghany and other rivers, 
sometimes also happens, and occasions a sufficient supply 
of water during the same period to render the navigation 
of the Ohio perfectly eligible. These rains, or freshes^ 
however, are not to be depended on, and when they oc- 
cur, must be taken immediate advantage oi as the waters 
•flubside rapidly. 

When provided with a good boat and strong cable of a^ 
least forty feet long, there is little danger in descending 
the river in high freshes, using due precaution, unless at 
times when there is much floating ice. Great exertion 
with the oars is, at such times, generally speaking, of no 
manner of use ; in fact, it is rather detrimental than other- 
wise, by often throwing the boat out of the current in 
which she ought to continue, and which will carry her 
along with more rapidity, and at the same time always 
take her right. By trusting to the current there is no 
danger to be feared in passing the islands, as it will carry 
the boat by them in safety. On the other hand, if persons 
row, and by so doing happen to be in the middle of the 
river, on approaching an island, there is great danger of 
being thrown on the upper point of it before they are 
aware, or have time to regain the true current. In, case 
they get aground in such a situation, become entangled 
among the aquatic timber, which is generally abundant, 
or be driven by the force of the water among the tops or 
trunks of other trees, they may consider themselves in im- 
minent danger ; and nothing but presence of 7mnd and 
great exertion can extricate them from such a dilemma. 

Persons should contrive to land as seldom as possible ; 
they need not even lie by at night, provided they trust to 
the current and keep a good look out. When they bring 
to, the strength of their cable is their principal safe-guard. 
A quantity of fuel, .provisions, and other necessaries, 
should be laid in at once, and every boat should have a 
skiff or canoe along side, to land on shore when necessary. 

Though the labour of navigating this river in times of 
^esh ib very inconsiderable to what it is during low wat^r. 



72 TRAVELS IN 

when continual rowing is necessary, it is always best t« 
keep a good look out, and be strong handed. The winds 
sometimes drive boats too near the points of the islands, 
or on projecting parts of the main shore, when considera- 
ble extra exertion is necessary to surmount the difficulty. 
Boats most commonly meet with head winds, as the river 
is so very crooked, that what is in their favour one hour 
will probably be against them in the next, and when a 
contrary wind contends with a strong current, it is attend- 
ed with considerable inconvenience, and requires careful 
and circumspect management, otherwise the boats must be 
driven on shore in spite of all the efforts of their crews. 
One favourable circumstance is, that the wind commonlj 
abates about sun-set in summer. 

Boats have frequently passed from Pittsburg to the 
mouth of the Ohio in fifteen days. However, twenty days 
is a good spring passage. In summer, six, eight, and evea 
ten weeks are often required to effect the same voyage. 

Descending the river when much incommoded with 
floating ice, should be as much as possible avoided, par- 
ticularly early in the winter, as there is a great probability 
of its stopping the boats ; however, if the water be high 
and there be an appearance of open weather, they may 
venture, unless the cakes of ice be so heavy as to impede 
their progress, or injure their timbers ; the boats will in 
such case make more way than the ice, a great deal of 
which will sink, and get thinner as it progresses ; but, on 
the other hand, if the water be low, it is by no means 
safe to embark on it when any thing considerable of ice 
remains. 

If at any time boats are obliged to bring too on account 
of the ice, great circumspection should be used in the 
choice of a spot to lie in. There are many places where 
the shore, projecting to a point, throws off the flakes of 
ice towards the middle of the river, and forms a kind of 
harbour below. By bringing too in such a situation, and 
fixing the canoe above the boat, with one end strongly to 
the shore, and the other out in the stream, sloping down 
the river, so as to drive out such masses of ice as would 
otherwise accumulate on the upper side of the boat, and 
tend to sink her and drive her from her moorings, a boat 
may lie with a tolerable degree of safety. This is a much 
better method ttan that of felling a tree on the shor<t 



AMERICA. ^ .7* 

•above, s»as to fall partly into the river ; for if, in its fall, 
it (iocs not adhere in some measure to the stinnp, or rest 
sufficiently on the bank, the weight ot accumulated ice 
will be apt to send it adrift, and bring it down, ice and 
all, on the boat, when no safety can be expected from it ; 
•or any means of extrication from so great a dilemma. 
The reflection here nsturally occurs, how easy it would be, 
and how little it would cost, in dittercnt places of the ri- 
\H?r where boats are accustomed to land, to project a sort 
of pier into the water, which inclining down the stream, 
would at all time insure a place of safety below it. The 
advantages accruing from such projections, to the places 
where they might be made, would be very considerable, 
bring them into repute as landing places, and soon repay 
the triflintr cxpence incurred by erection. There is how- 
ever no hope that any improvement of this kind will take 
place at least for a number of years, as the inhabitants of 
the present settlements and towns, appear to have delif^ht* 
ed in rendering their landing places ditlicult, by fellina the 
timber on the banks into the river, and by nt)t leaving as 
much as a shrub to which a boat can be made fast. 'I'he 
settlements themselves frequently suffer by this their shame- 
ful prodigality and want of foresight, as boats on makin<^ 
them, and not finding an immediate fastening and safa 
landing, drop below the settlements never again to return ; 
for it would take a flat boat and forty hands ten days to 
make goc^d five miles against the stream. You must un° 
derstand from the stress I have laid on the necessitv of a 
fastening on shore, and a good landing place, that flat 
boats never carry an anchor. The method to run the boat 
ashore is, jump hastily out, and fasten a line or Ciible 
round a stump, tree, &c. ; or hold on till a stake be cut 
and driven in the ground for the same .purpose. 

Observing the Ohio from Pntsbutg and remarking in 
the mind its general course, it is bounded on the right-hand 
^ide in this manner : , 

1 St. Part of the state of Pennsylvania, extending aboi\J 
fifteen miles down the river. 

2dly. The whole southern boundary of the Ohio state, 
formerly called the North-west Territory. This State ex- 
tends along the river about five hundred miles. 

3dly. The Indiana territory extends to the mouth of 
the Ohio, maicing tive hundred fifty miles more along its 
Q 



74 TRAVELS IN 

banks; which added to the two former luimbers oialoe 
the entire course about eleven hundred miles. 

Observing the river under the same circumstances from 
Fittsbuig, It is lound to be bounded on the lejt-hand ; — 

1st. By part of the state of PenF.sylyahia, extending for- 
ty-two miles down the rivfer. 

2. By part of Virginia, extending two hundred and 
3iinety-six miles along a high shore : and 

3. By the state of Kentucky which extends to the 
mouth seven hundred and sixty two miles, and forms the 
entire distance of eleven hundred miles or thereabouts. 

The recapitulation of this is, that the right-hand side of 
the Ohio is bounded by PennsylYar^ia, the Ohio state, and 
Indiana territory :— and these provinces, or their proper 
proportions of them, are bounded on the north by the lakes 
and by the British possessions in Canada ; on the south of 
course, by the Ohio river ; on the west by Mississippi ; 
jind on the east by parts of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, 
^nd New-York. 

'\\\e left-hand hid^e of the Ohio is bounded by Pennsyl- 
vania, Virginia andKentucky; and these provinces, or their 
proper proportion, are bounded on the south by theCaroIi- 
nas, Georgia, and. Tenassee; on the north of course, by the 
Ohio river ; on the west by the Mississippi ; and on the 

east by the Atlantic seas. On a map, these general 

boundaries would naturally have to undergo modifications^ 
and be divided into particular bearings and poiiits. By 
stating them as I have, I only mean to give you a general 
idea of them. — This great river contains near one hun- 
dred islands, and receives as many rivers, creeks, or navi- 
gable streams. 

In my next I shall examine them step by. step. That 
they may afford you information and amusement, is my 
most ardent wish; but you must be patient, and bear with 
'-my usual wide digression and extraneous matter. 



AMERICA. ' 75 

LETTER IX, 



T'roper season to descend the Ohio— a Monongaliela, or Ken-^ 
tuihy boat ' debcrided — Coiifiiience of the Monons^ahela 
and Alleghany waters— Sublime scenery — Hamilton s isl- 
and— Irwin's island— difficidtics in the course — Hogs' 
and Crows' is/ands— Macintosh's town-^Warrens town— 
Young's town — Grape island — its inhabitants — cause and 
manner of their settlement — ?7.$ grape-vines — Georgetown 
— a spring producing on oil similar to Seneca oil — cxper' 
iments to discover its cause — deductions-from them. 

Wlieeling, Virginia, April, 1806. 

I LEFT Pittsburg just before the water had entirely 
subsided. The winter broke up about the the tenth of 
February, since which time, the flood has been seeking the 
sea with an unwearied assiduity. I might have taken the 
advantage of its tirst force, but I declare to you, fond as 
you may tliink me of diligence and enterprizo^ I have iio 
fancy to be drasged by day down the river, b;y force, nor 
to bring too agamst the trunks and in the tops of trees, from 
liight till morning : this is the fate of all those who depart 
on the immediate dissolution of the ice ; on they must 
proceed, and often in spite of every exertion, or bring up in 
situntions wild, dangerous, and inhospitable. Being con- 
scious then of all disagreeable circumstances attending 
those who hurry away with the earliest floods, I waited 
till this season, when the waters run a little more than three 
miles an hour, allowing a boat, with small exertion, and 
not meeting a head wmd, to make between forty and fifty 
miles in a day of twelve hours. 

This town, which is ninety miles from Pittsburg, I reach- 
ed on the evening of the second day. The water in some 
places was' very shallow, and in others rocky and dange- 
rous. But I believe I promised you to be minute : let me 
then make a compleat beginning. I purchased, for lorty 
dollars, on the Monongahela a Kentucky boat. I must 
describe such a thing to you, for it is no more like an Eng- 
lish boat of any description, than it is like a church. An 
oblong frame is first made, perhaps forty feet long by six- 



V t> TRAVELS IN 

feen wide. The four pieces forming this fraiiTe are geB€>^ 
rally from fourteen to eighteen iuchei- square, mortiseu s© 
iis to receiw* a number of bars across, on which are fasten- 
ed thick planks with wooden pins — this forming tlie fiat 
bott<;m of iheboat. From the solid beams of the frunie, 
3ise several uprights, six feet high, to which boards are at- 
tached to form the ends and sides ; after which.the boat is 
loofed over except a snjall space through which the hands 
can drop or enter. The whole represents an oblong apart- 
Jneiit — both ends perfectly square, and nothing indicates the 
fcow but the small op«n space in the roof, and holes in the 
.sides, through which the oars work. Boats of this sort are 
steered by a large, oar, balanced on a pivot, issuing from the' 
Tuiddle uprights of the stern. This is prefercd to a tiller, 
'-vhich^ by sinking too deep in the water, would risk being 
carried oh by logs and shoals. 1 divided my boat into two 
apartments , that next the stern for my own accommodation; 
that next the head for my servants to cook, row, and keep a 
kmk out in: the roof served for the helmsman aivd as^aquar- 
*er-deck, oii which to parade. When 1 add to this, that I had a 
^ood chimney built in my boat; four windows made; that a 
1 laid in two coops-fuil of chickens, other kinds of stores, 
spirits, cofi'ee, sugar, &c. 1 need not tell you how com- 
*ort;\bl€ 1 set otf, and how able I was to endure the vicissi- 
tudes of my intended voyages. My servants were Mindethi, 
jay old follower, and Cuff, a mustee,of the Bandan nation; 
I'le former a strong laborious creature, the latter a lellow 
'.vithout any other charActcr than that he knew something 
ijf the waters, was a good shot, and well acquainted with 
Jiaunts of wild turkies, game, and wild beasts. I could 
iiavegot another hand, for fifteen dollars a month, but as 
I was determined to steer myself and be active in other re- 
spects, 1 departed but v.ith two men. I cannot recom^ 
loend this temerity to others : four liands are always ne^ 
ccssary, and sometimes more. 

In turning into the stream from Pittsburg I found the 
scene instantaneously changed, and become peculiarly 
grand. In ten minutes 1 got into the confluence of \\\f. 
Monongahela and Allegany waters. For half an ht)ur I 
bteered my boac in this confluence, being able to dip up 
whitish water on one side, and perfectly green on the other. 
The hills on the right hand were near 1200 feet high — 
ItiUic uu.tl^ kit soiuuthj-^i; Icis lofty— '.-uch cioathcd \\i;i 



AMERICA. 77 

sumptuous and unceasing timber, from the base to the 
summit, the garb of many thousand years, each tree per- 
ishing in an imperceptible progression, and each as im- 
perceptibly renewed ! The whole and the individual, still 
appearing the same, always conveying a grand idea of the 
munificence of Nature and the immutability of all her 
works. ' This view was sufficient to lead the mind into a 
serious contemplation which assumed a character of me- 
lancholy, when I reflected on the endless scenes of the 
same nature, only more pregnant with danger, vicissitude, 
and death, through which 1 had to pass. The river, for 
nine hundred miles, with the exception of a few intervals, 
chosen in general for the seats of towns, villages, and 
farms, is bounded by lofty banks and high mountains, 
which shed a gloom on its surface, and convey less- of 
pleasurable sensation tlian that of sublimity and surprise. 
1 reflected, too, that I was lengthening the chain of all my 
former friendships ; that I was to pass through countries 
where death attacked man in a variety of new and alarm- 
ing shapes; that I was proceeding to New Orleans, a city 
two thousand two hundred miles off, where fate uniformly 
demands nine out of ten of every visitant:, and that, should 
I escape this destiny, 1 should still be six thousand miles 
from home, and have in that distance, to meet with other 
numerous tTangers, presenting themselves under every form 
that could manifest a terrific- appearance. A small imme- 
dial ) difficulty put a quick conclusion to these gloomy 
meditations. We had dropt down near three miles when 
an island appeared a head —the channel was on the right 
side, and the wind, from that quarter, had set me too much 
to the left. I instantly put the boat's head across the ri- 
ver and with infinite exertion of oars gained the trite cur- 
rent : but not till the water changed colour, indicating 
soundings of three teet on the bar, which stretched out of 
the head of the island. I liad to learn from this the neces- 
sity of moralizing less, and of keeping a better look out. 
It was Hamilton's island which I was ))assing at the rate of 
«even miles an hour. The island, by contracting the breadth 
of the cnannel, gives more iiiipetuosi;y to the current, and 
forces a boat aloii^' with double its rapidity than ift the oi- 
dmary and open parts ci the nver. 

Four miles from Hamilton's island and seven from Pitts- 
burg, is Irwin's inland. Th;j channel is about one-third 
G2 



78 TR.WELS IN 

from the right hand shore. Tlte first ripple is justbeloT^ 
rtie head of the ishiiid, where 1 had to leave a iarge breaks 
er, or rock close to my right hand. The second, or Horse- 
tail ripple, is a small, distance below the first, and the 
channel which is, npMwice tlxj length of the boat, lies bc-_ 
tween a bar and sonif. large breakers. The third ripple is 
■within hair a mile- of th« lower end of li win's island ; the 
channel is, about one- third of the width of the river from 
the right side, and close to th<?. upper emi of the bar. From 
this to a little town called Macii^toshj I met with a series 
i)f these, ripples, which required the most exact lookout, 
sind two islands calleJ Hog's and Crow.!s island, the former 
*)n account of its acorns inviting tlie periodical visits of 
hogs, and the latter from being perceived to be the favoar' 
ite resort of rooks and crows. 1 cannot think that you 
would conceive it of any profit or pleasure to receive from 
me my exact notes of the causes, «S:c. of the river and chan- 
I'tel, 1 shall therefore, content iiiyself with transmitting you 
fcuch remarks as may have something of interest-above the 
a.ontents of communications meant as a mere pilot to the 
siver. i neglect this detail the morevvillingly, as I under- 
^tand " a Pilot for the rivers" is now in the press, and will 
^uoi•tly be published Rt Pittsburg. Thus are we relieved 
fr.cm the necessity of much dull detail. 

Macintosh is situated on^ the right side of the Ohio, 
about a quarter of a miIe^ below Big beaver creek ;, the 
bituation is beautiliil and commanding, as there is at pre- 
sent a considerable, and in some time must be a very great 
trade up and down this creek, the sources of which nearly 
ieach the borders of lake Erie. Th*? town is encreasing 
iapidly, and contains many stores^ where the merchants 
exchange thfir goods for the produVe of the back country, 
\vhos« market is New (.>ileans or the Isles* Fifty miles in 
uhe interior of this place, and on the bank of Mahoneny 
creek, the town of Warren is pleasantly situated. Fourteea* 
jniles below, on the same creek, is Young's town, a small 
place, but said to be proijressinjz, rapidly. 

Just below M^acint»)sh, which is twenty eight miles from 
Pittsburg, is an island called alter the same name, a second 
island not named, ai.d a third called Grape island. Or* 
this last 1 landed, and soon discovered the propriety ot the 
niime : the passage through it in every direction was ren- 
cl«i€d Hitrica,te,by the multitudes of vines, N\hici) extended. 



A^'EftlCA^ 7^ 

fhom tree tolree, rising to the tops of "some, and closely 
embracing the bodies of olhtrs. Having passed through 
a great deal of toil during the day, in avoiding a variety oC 
danger, I was very well pleased to make the pretence ofc 
curiosity, a motive to myself, for stopping the remainder 
of the day and night in this little tranquil insulated world, 
1 no sooner made this intention known, than all was bustle 
among us. The men with joy took to their oars : we sooa 
gained the bank, and made fast to a tree, which bade dejS'<^. 
ance to the impotent though constant efforts of the current;, 
The next step was to make *' an encampment." Take 
care that you are not misled by this high sounding terms.. 
Formerly, indeed, the making an encampment, in this 
country, bore affinity to the notions you attach to that act 
at home :^it was for the purpose of protection against the 
Indians and wild beasts : but now it consists of nothmg 
more than clearing a spot on which to make a large fire ; 
stretch a blanket or piece of cloth on two bent poles to 
windward, and there make a shew of comfort, satisfaction, 
and repose. This done, we each had a separate employ- 
ment. Mindeth commenced- preparations for dressing 
dinner ; Cuff patiently sat on the side of the boat catching 
fifh, and I took my gun and dog into the woods, 1 pierced 
to the left side of the island, a beautiful portion of which I 
found cleared, planted with Indian corn, and very promis- 
ing wheat. A neat log-house soon appeared in view ; 1. 
kn<;>cked, the door was opened by an old woman, about 
whom hung three children, the whole ematiated with sick- 
ness, and stained by the languid colours of death. They 
betrayed more fear than surprize, on beholding me. I 
banished this irapression as soon as possibte, by persuading 
the mother that Ixlid not come to rob the house, or^do 
her any manner of injury ; that I was not a Kentucky I 
man. and that mere chance, not a disposition to plunder,, 
broujiht me her way. On this she assumed some ^e^enity, 
and told me that the Kentucky men -so often landed on her 
island to steal her fruit, fowls, hogs, &c. that she was a- 
}armed at the sight of others, from an apprehension of their 
coming with the same design. The husband who soon 
after came in, 1 found to be a German, who had lived long 
enouL^h in Virginia to pick up some Negro-English. Ue 
inlornied me that, coming down the river iour years past 
%his family boat; forwant of keeping a good look out, oi 



m TRAVELS IN 

of knowing the river, he took the wrong channel, and stove 
his boat within two hundred yards of the spot where his 
house now stands. The water being shallow he got his 
goods ashore, and thinking the island possessed as good 
land as any he could procure elsewhere, he igiermined to 
proceed no farther, but to pitch his tent where providence 
had cast him, and set with a good heart about building a 
log-house, and clearing ground for maize, in the first inst- 
ance, and then for wheat and other objects of agriculture* 
He effected this laborious purpose to admiration. His house 
was comfortable ; his garden neat ; and he had six acres 
of land under a crop which aj)peared perfectly thriving, 
He had bought a male and female pig, which had multi- 
plied m the woods prodigiously, and nothing appeared to 
interrupt his happiness but the people of Kentuck, as he 
called all those who occasiourttly made a descent on his 
island, either to pursue game or to injure him. Robinson 
Crusoe never stood in so much dread of an Inilian invasion 
as this German did of his own fellow citizens and inhab- 
itants of a neighbouiing Srate. It was this apprehension 
it seems which hindered him from making his settlement 
on the channel side of the inland, which, under any other 
impression would be infinitely superior ; mure eligible foe 
market ; and mi>re interesting and convenient to the pleas- 
ures and comforts of lite. In fact, he explained to nie his 
jnotives in fewer words j they were precisely these : — " If 
the people of Kentuck, find me out sometimes in this silent 
part, how should I be able to live, when the sight of smoke, 
the crowing of cocks, and the barking of dogs would call 
them all upon me ?" 

Having no manner of reply to make to this argument, 
I invited the Philosopher to my boat, and by tl>e way con- 
versed with him on the subject of the vines, on which I 
wanted information. I learned that they bore a small 
sour fruit, growing in clusters, of from two ounces to three 
pounds. The fruit was not eatable, nor calculated to have 
good wine expressed from it. He imagined that this evil 
was owing to the vines growing under large trees, which 
entirely deprived them of the heat of the sun. Under this 
influence he transpUinted more roots in'o his garden field; 
oir the scc'.nd year ihey produced a fruit not quite so small 
as that 111 .m uncultivated state ; on the third year the 
grapes looked much better, but before they could ripeji 
*-hey were withered and exliaubted by the heat of tht sun. 



AMERICAN ^ 

I told hfm that a medium between extreme shade and ex- 
posure, appeared the thing to be desired. He said he be- 
lieved so too. The argument was pursued : I hurried him 
to my encampmcntj where I found prepared an excellent 
dinner, or rather a supper, for the sun but faintly glimmer- 
ed on the tops of the highest trees of the opposite moun- 
tain, and the silent serenity of the evening reigned in the 
place of the glare of day. My new acquaintance wais 
much pleased with hi? treatment and repast. 1 gave him 
a good glass of grog, and sent him home with a small pre- 
sent for his wife, of tea and sugar ; articles on which peo- 
ple, in proportion to their distance from such business, set 
an increased value. I- never asked him why he himself 
looked so poorly, or why his wife and children were so af- 
flicted with iiidiirposition ? The reasons were too eviJen* 
to make it ncccbsary to touch a string which could vibrate 
uothingbut discord. — i^xcessive perspiration from continu- 
al labour, and exposure to ri^in and nightly dews, before 
the completion of the house, hurt the constitution of this 
poor couple, and the regular periodical fevers which visil' 
them are hastening them and their chihiren to an early dis- 
solution. — Were it not for this, who would not envy them 
the monarchy of their little island ; the tranquility of theiif 
lives ; and the innocciice of their pursuits 1 

The night advanced rapidly, and with it a pleasing 
impression of seriousness, unknown to any but those 
who are exposed to dangerous events, and who like mc 
are used to live and sleep under the open air. Cuff seem- 
ed determined to augment this disposition by reciting 
various stories of accidents happening on the vvat«rs ; of 
murders conunitted ; robberies perpetrated ; of whirlpools, 
cataracts, and rapid falls, &c. &c. These dismal nana- 
tions had the good effect of awaking m our minds a remem- 
brance of obligation to heaven ; a desire to merit a con- 
tinuance of mercy ; and a disposition to cast ourselves on 
the bounty of a Providence which had hitherto accorded 
so many kind interpositions. If such sentiments as these 
have been found favourable to happiness in the bosom of 
society, and iu the midst of safety and ease, you may judge 
how much more useful and necessary they are when ex- 
posed to danger on the surface of waters, or in the depth, 
and borders of gloomy woods. This efi'ect on me was a 
perfect composure, and an uninterrupted night's rest. I 
Wid,a bcai'^^iik^^n (lie s»nd,.put my si^ddle bugs under my. 



32 TilAVELS IN 

head, and placing my feet to the fire, there remained tilf' 
the morning ; when the clamour of rooks, and melody of 
birds of vanous kinds, rebuked my fcluggishness. Cheerful 
and refreshed, we cast off our fastening ; jumped into our 
boai ; in ten minutes gained the strongest stream, and in 
ten more arrived at Georgetown. 

Georgetown is a smaU but flourishing place, just above 
the mouth of Miilcreek, It is pleasantly situated on a veiy 
high bank, A post-office has been lately established there. 

Nearly opposite fo Georgetown, and a few yards from 
the shore, a spring rises from the bottom of the river, which 
produces an oil nearly similar to Seneca oil. I conjecture 
that this must proceed from a large bed of mineral coal in 
tbe vicinity of the spring. On first hearing of this, from 
an intelligent Scotchman, the post- master at Georgetown, 
whom 1 questioned as to the curiosities of his neighbour- 
hood, I immediately crossed over in my canoe to examine 
the well, and search for grounds on which to establish some* 
particular conclusions. I found none perfectly satisfactory. 
The surface, about four feet in dianieCer, was covered over 
with an olive-coloured slime, here and there rising in lobes 
fiHed, but not agitated with confined air. On a more mi- 
nute in««pection however, I perceived these globules burst 
and subside in gentle undulations, enclosing in a circle ^ 
matter w'hose colour was less deep than that prevailing on 
the general face of the well. On discovering other glo- 
bules to rise in succession, 1 gently dipt up a gourd-full of 
Water and globules, while in the act of rising through the 
surface. 1 spilt the whole on the blade of the paddle, and- 
could distinguish, very plainly, the oil which had been ex- 
posed to the air from the oil which just rose in search of 
if. On sounding, 1 fouml the well to be sixty-five feet ' 
deep ; that is as deep as the bed of the adjacent river. On 
exan.iiiing the neighbourhood it was plain that coal abound- 
ed ; but I could not take upon ine to assert that the well 
or Its sources had any communication with that or any 
other mineral. As a last act, 1 skimmed off a gourd-full 
of oil, and again crossing the river, went to the house of a 
doctor whom 1 supposed capai)le of analizing the subject 
for me. On' seeing my gourd full of oil, and the interest I 
took in the investigation of its ])roperties, he very hand- 
somely told me, that *' he had but just turned doctor ; and 
had not as ijet give?}, his time to such f kings." My admira- 
tion of his candour covered him from contempt, and I rc}-, 



AMERICA. -S3 

'turned to my Scotch friend more full of the dangerous idea 
of a limn but " just turned doctor," and let loose on a sick- 
ly world, than 1 was of my gourd of oil, or the consequence 
of the discovery of its virtues to mankind. 1 did not how- 
ever abandon the pursuit. Assisted by the highlander'^ 
wife, I exposed the oil to slow fusion, a quick boil, and'fi- 
iiaily set it on fire. Its emotion while over the fire was un- 
commonly great, and when, entirely separated from watery 
particles, it caught fire, it consumed in a blaze more live- 
ly and sudden than that which hovers over spirits, of ordi- 
nary proof, when inflamed. During the progressive stages 
of this operation, I kept the noses of all the obliging family 
occupied over the fume. Owing to a difference in the 
construction of that organ, as a variation in the sensibility 
of the olfactory nerve, no two of them gave the same opin- 
ion as to their notion of the efifluviae. Indeed their opinions 
were wide and discordant, agreeing but in this essential 
point, that there was no smell of sulphur. This accorded 
with my idea, though it traverses that which I first gave, 
" that the oil proceeded from a bed of mineral coal." The 
efiluvia3 to me not only appeared divested of sulphur, but 
to be impregnated with a vegetable aromatic smell. Though 
by no means content with the result of my researches, I 
still draw from these their deductions. 

1st. The oil rising in a distinct intermittent globular 
from the bottom to the surface proves that it does not issue 
in a continued stream Jrom any rock or mineral strata, but 
that It is emitted drop by dro[), in the manner of slow and 
reluctant distillation. 

2dly. The oil is not therefore generated by the sun from 
particles rising in the water favorable to that liquid, though 
'the sun changes its colour on cx[)Osure of its rays. 

3dly. 1 his change of colour from a light yellow to a 
dark olive betrays a sulphurous quality, yet the absence of 
the smell and taste ot that mineral entirely discountenances 
- the opinion that it exists in it. And 

^tbly. From the spirit residing in the oil, the aromatic 
flavor and smell, it is not unreasonable to presume that it 
possesses medicinal virtues, which under a judicious ad- 
ministration, might be productive of salutary effects. 

This latter deduction is strengthened-by the testimony 
of the Scotchman, who says, the well was much frequented 
by the Indians previously to their retreat to the backcoun« 



dA TRAVELS IN 

iries, and that the neighbouring whites used the oil as a 
friction when suffering with rheumatism, and as an unction 
when afflicted with sores. 

Much to the satisfaction of the good hostess and her fam- 
ily, who could not refrain from laughter at my zeal and 
earnestness, on a subject to them ** signifying nothing," 
our gourd and nostrums were pitched out of doors, and 
they sat about preparing a repast to which 1 got a most 
hearty and welcome invitation. This gives you a most fa- 
vorable respite, and me another opportunity of persuadipj 
you, bow much i am, &c. 



LETTER Xc 



jCcurse of tie Ohio to Stubenville — Custari island — Sfubfn^ 
vifle — Congress lands — Indian honour able confederacy- — 
Insidious means of i/I disposed whites to possess the covntrj/, 
and exterminate its inhabitants— The Indians become w;?- 
deceiiedj and resume the great federal fomahauk — Thei/ 
put to death many of their cruel invaders^ who place them" 
selves under protection of Congress, and receive its sup- 
port — Events of an Indian vcnr — Peace restored — it^ 
terms — Finesse of Congress to possess the Indian lands — 
Hence arose the north west territory , now the Ohio State 
— The subject of Congress lands -contjnued — nature of their 
sales, and price nf these lands^— -their great profit to land- 
jobbers — increase of population of the State — a Dutch 
purchaser^ hi^ sejitiments after experience, 

Stube^vill^ State of Oliio, May, 1806. 
I LEFT Georgetown on the evening of the day I im- 
fbrmcd you I was to dine with the hospitable post-mast«r, 
and gained this place, nineteen miles, in four hours, but 
not without a good iook out and some exertion at the oars» 
I should have told you that the Pennsylvania line crosses 
at the mouth of Mill creek, and a little bclo^v the mouth 
of another creek. called Little Beaver. This line separate 



AMERICA: . 85 

-that State from Virginia on the left hand, and the Ohio 
State on the right, when descending the river, and gives 
Pennsylvania a length of territory from the Atlantic to 
this line of near five thousand miles ! I passed this after- 
noon by five islands lying from two to three or four miles 
from each other ; covered with wood and overrun with 
flowers and line pasture. One was c?:lled Custard island, 
in consequence of its abounding with the papaw, which i 
vulgarly known by the name of the Custard tree. The 
fruit of the papaw when ripe, exactly resembles in taste 
the flavour, composition and colour, a custard of the best 
quality. It may be eaten in moderation without danger. 
There is one circumstance however attending this fruit of a 
very remarkable nature. Man, and many other animals, 
eat it with safety and pleasure, whilst a hog, the most ra- 
venous and least ciicumspect of all creatures, turns from 
it with antipathy or a fear of danger. This is one of those 
subjects whose depth is too great to be fathomed by hu- 
man intelligence. 

Having arrived late at Stubenville I made secure my 
boat against a steep bank and clean shore, and went up to 
the town with the view of passing the night, and gaining 
some knowledge of the surrounding country. 

The town is pleasantly situated on the right bank of the 
river and in the Ohio State. A land office is kept here for 
the sale of Congress lands, which brings a number of pur- 
chasers, and at times makes a considerable appearance of 
activity. I must explain the expression of " Congress 
Lands." 

Little more than twenty years have elapsed since the 
whole of the right bank of the Oli'o was called the Indian 
Country or the Indian Side. It was inhabited by the re- 
mains of several scattered aboriginal nations, who, driven 
from their former grounds were in hopes of being left in 
the peaceable possessions of this country. To this effect 
they buried the tomahawk of enmity which subsisted be- 
tween each other ; the calumut of peace was sent from 
Camp to camp, and from tiibe to tribe. A social comj^act 
was the immediate consequence and the world witnessed 
the new spectacle of a savage association formed on po- 
litical principles, and organized with a wisdom and energy 
Vi-hich would honour the first States of FLurope. Individual 
II 



Sfi TRAVELS IN 

and national animosities were forgotten. A general and na- 
tional council was formed of warriors and talkers from the 
councils of the particular tribes, and this council assumed 
the name of *> the High Council of Confederated Indians." 
The debates of this instructive assembly principally turned 
on the propriety of cultivating a warm friendship with the 
whites, and on the necessity imposed on them, by the 
limits set to their hunting grounds, of learning the social 
arts, and of devoting themselves to the pursuits of agrir 
culture and commerce. These were the intuitions of this 
primitive people. The discontented and vagabond part of 
the Onited States saw this confederacy with a malignant 
;eye. The idea of Indian policy or ravage association pro- 
ductive of moral and public happiness, was a thing too 
insufferable to be endured by those who were taught to be- 
lieve the Indians little inferior to brutes, and who delight- 
ed in their extermination. Besides it was whispered abroad 
that " the Indian country" was the finest in the world ; 
thatlmley's dreams applied to it alone, and that the French 
who had visited it from the Canada border, considered '\% 
as the paradise of the new world. This was more than 
sufficient to inspire a disposition to possess this charming 
territory, and to annihilate its inhabitants. The whites in 
the adjacent parb of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Keur 
tucky, commenced this work of premeditation and death; 
not by open violence, but by a means much more fatal, 
that of proffered friendship, and a shew of conciliation 
and amicable sj)irit. They set distilleries to work, and 
backed by the destructive instrument of ardent spirits, and 
furnished with some coarse blankets, matchlocks, beads, 
and bawbles for sale, they visited their unsuspecting friends> 
who sold them their poijsessions in exchange for this poi- 
son and trumpery, and by degrees, retired from their fa- 
vourite waters into .th^ bosoni of the deepest woods. So 
ignorant were they of the value of liieir own landed pro- 
perty, and so high an estimation did they set on the infa- 
mous spirits brought among them by their perfidious friends, 
that whole tribes have been known to sell the rights of 
their nations to lands, of upwards of two hundred thou- 
sand acres, for as much whiskey as could intoxicate them 
at one great public festival or even feast of warriors and 
chiefs. Seduced by the success of the first speculators, a 
host of adventurers crowded in from all parts, who geltinj; 



AMERICA. $t 

boldf in proportion to their numbers, they began to seize on 
lands even without the shallow pretext of an impositious 
piarchase, and drove the Indians from possessions they had 
begun to cultivate, and in consequence to value and es- 
teem. The High National Council became alarmed ; the 
great federal tomahawk, with great solemnity, was taken 
from the ground ; red feathers was sent to every nation, 
iarnd war against the cruel insatiable whites was publicly 
declared. To the gratification of every man inspired by 
the honourable principles of humanity and justice, this 
declaration was followed by the instant and sudden death 
of the greatest part of their cruel and blood thirsty inva- 
ders. Those who escaped and who wished for the contin- 
uance of a few 3'cars, appealed for protection to Congress, 
and to its eternal disgrace and infamy, the Congress ailbrd- 
ed them both succour and approbation. An Indian war 
was the universal cry through the whole States ; volunteers' 
rushed from every quarter, and wretched was he whose 
parentis circumstance or situation denied him the glory of 
exterminating with his own hand some forty, or fifty In- 
dians. For the commissions of a troop of cavalry raised 
for this service, General Washington had received upwards 
cf four thousand memorials, issuing from compting hoiv^ 
ses, banks, farms, manufactures, and public and private 
schools. But God and justice for a time resided with the 
Indians. Such was their success that the moral and the 
good cried out, " surely they are the armies of the living 
God." They fought several pitched battles with the A-- 
mericans, and reduced their army several times to the 
necessity of being renewed and recruited. One commander 
in chief, several staff officers, and a multitude of privates 
were killed in one particular engagement, from the field 
of which the whites had to ffy several miles ; on their re- 
turn next day, they found the mouths and bodies of their 
generals and companions killed in battle, stuffed and cram- 
ed with earth, and stuck through with the boughs and 
branches of trees. At this dreadful but just spectacle they 
were struck with horror and remorse. What, said they, 
we came into this <5ountry in search of new acquisition and 
territory, and we now find by the lesson before us, that we 
are to purchase it in this terrific way ; that for a mouth- 
ful of it we are to surrender our lives. For this in facf 
was precisely what the Indian figure implied. Conciliation 



84. TRA VELS iN 

tollowed. Deputations passed. Boundaries were fixed, and 
peace was proclaimed with the Indian tribes throughout 
America with much more joy than that which was mani- 
fested at the conclusion of the war with the British. Con- 
g^ress ordained that no individual should purchase Indian 
lands whether from individuals or from tribes ; that In- 
dian life and property was under the a?gis of the law as 
firmly as though they were appertaining to actual Ameri- 
can citizens, and that commerce, dealings, and intercourse 
Avith them should be conducted with a respect to their own 
regulations, and the regards and justice due to all people. 
This conduct in the Congress was highly satisfactory to the 
Indians, who did not see through its real and hidden mo- 
tives. They did not perceive that Congress reserved ta 
itself the right of legally robbing them. This was soon 
after done. A regular mission was sent to the Indians 
proposing to give them some few thousand dollars, and a 
certain sum annually, and a few trinkets, if they would 
entirely sell their country and retire to near the lakes, the 
peaceable possession of which the Americans would invio- 
lably secure to them. Dazzled by these meritorious offers^ 
their folly abandoned what their valour could have main- 
tained, and they now reside and receive their annuity in 
the neighbourhood of Detroit, and along the waters of their 
lar famed Ontario, whose beauties breathe through their 
•lungs, and whose wonders magnify all their tradition. 

'ihis purchase effected, the Indian country took the 
name of the North-West Territory, and a few years since, 
on its determined increase of population, it assumed the 
title of the Ohio State, and bids fair in a very short time 
to rank high in the federal union. It is about five hundred 
siquare miles, bounded on the north by the lakes and 
Canada ; on the south by Ohio river, on the east by part 
of Pennsylvania and New York, and on the west by the 
Indian territory, which in its turn will soon become a 
itale. 

This state is watered by several navigable rivers running 
from the north to the Ohio, and by numerous creeks and 
stivams winding nearly the same course. Its banks on the 
Ohio arc far more eligible for settlements than the opposite 
Virginian and Kentucky shore. Villages and settlements 
aie within very few miles of each other, and the towns of 
Jklarcelia and Cincinnati, are large and rising into com- 



AMERICA. 8^ 

mercial eminence. The principal town is Chilicothe, sit- 
uated nearly in tiie centre of the state ; there the govern- 
ment resides, and is held the principal hind office, &c. &c; 

The land of the plains ; of the borders of rivers ; of the 
great meadows, and of all the tract lying between the two 
Miamis (two rivers so called) is without any exception the 
finest known in the world. The great part then of this 
land being obtained by Congress from the Indians by an 
imposition, called by the fallacious name of a legal pur- 
chase, is known by the name of " Congress Lands,'' as 
stated in the early part of this letter, and exposed you to 
this long dissertation on Indian war and topographical 
history. I resume however the subject of "Congress 
Lands." 

By virtue of the treaty with the aboriginal confederacy 
and subsequent purchases. Congress has become the pro- 
prietor of nearly all the fine lands in the state. I have 
mentioned where such lands most abound, and shouldhave 
stated that nearly one third of the country is muuntaineus- 
and ridgy, bog and morassj to such a degree as not to be 
worth one cent per acre. The principal part af the state* 
of this character lies to the north-east, and east of the ri-^ 
ver Scioto. The best land is to the west of that river, and 
continues with few exceptions to the boundary westward 
of the Great Miami.. It is very necessary that purchasers 
at u distance should be aware of this, as 1 have known sev- 
eral who b(>\ight in a distant market at a good price come 
several thousand miles to take possession of a sterile moun- 
tain or an unreclaimable swamp.. The truth is, that no 
person should buy who is not on the spot, or who has not 
a confidential agent* The mode of sale adopted by Con- 
gress is highly commendable. The entire country is sur- 
veyed and divided into sections of six hundred and forty 
acres each. A certain number of these sections lying con- 
tiguous compose a township, and a certain number of town- 
ships forma range. The sections are all numbered, and 
each number sixteen in every township is reserved for the 
purpose of education and the support of its professors. 
There are also reservations which cannot be sold under 
eight dollars an acre ; but every other acre of Congress 
land is sold at two dollars per acre forever : and, to en- 
tourage settlers, the period of four years is allowed for the 
H 2 



^0 TRAVELS IN 

entire payment which commences one-fourth at the bar- 
gain, and the remainder at three yearly instalments. This 
indulgence on the part of government was most productive 
to a few sordid monopolizers, called land jobbers, or land 
speculators, who made large contracts for twenty thousand 
to five hundred thousand acres of the best land and in the 
best situations, and have already sold the greatest part at 
from three to five dollars an acre. A meadow called the- 
Rick-a-way plains, containing ten thousand acres free of 
wood, is advanced by one of these gentlemen, from the two 
dollars an acre to be paid by his contract,, to thirty dollars 
per acre, and a considerable part of it is already sold.. 
The portion under cultivation has yielded one hundred and 
ten bushels of corn, and fifty bushels wheat per acre. The- 
land the most sought alter is on the Scioto, the Ohio, and 
the Miamis :. on which situations the title of Congress is- 
for the most part bought up, and the present owners de- 
mand for it from six to twelve dollars per acre. But \€ 
the land should be oa a mill seat, or place eligible for the 
site of a village or town, the price might probably be raised 
to one hundred dollars per acre. 

.Many local circumstances sometimes edso unite to raise 
the price of certain lands. Such as their vicinity to im- 
proving towns ; their abundance of ship timber, the facili- 
ty of conveying it to builders' yards, and their possession 
of the sugar maple, cherry tree, sassafras, cotton, and other 
plants. On ^he whole, 1 know of no speculation so prom- 
ising, as that of buying the remaining good lands, reserva- 
tions, and all (except schools, reservatioiis which are never 
to be sold) from. Congress at two dollars per acre,, and of 
holding them for the space of ten years ; after that period 
up moderate land will, be sold under ten dollars per acre, 
and land of the first qualities and situation will fetch fifty 
in general, and much more in particular, per acre. The- 
reasons for this are obvious ; the lands of the Atlantic 
States are not to be compared to these in point of fertility 
and every excelAince ; the climate here is not worse, and 
the State tolerate? no slavery. 

This last circumstance has already given it the name of 
the independent country ; the state where man is free but 
not licentious. In consequence, quakers, and other religi- 
ous professors, encir.ies to intolerance and oppression, whelh- 
•r chiiblian or political, -have settled in the state, and are 



AMERICA. St 

^aily; followed by thousands who either admire, or affect to 
advocate their principles and doctrines. Such has been 
this rage, that the last ten years has added to the state one 
hundred thousand inhabitants, sai-d to be the most peacea- 
ble, inoffensive, moral, and industrious citizens belonging 
to the American nation. I have a \evy strong predilection 
for the state, I must own to you, and a presentiment, from 
what I observe and hear at present, that my future expe- 
rience will justify all my hopes, and prove to you that I am 
more happy when a people permit me to say any thing in 
their favour, than when their vices and follies compel me 
to condemn them. I do not mean to be more particular 
on the subject just now, as I shall have to observe and say 
a vast deal more relating to the state during my voyage 
down its southern border along the river. I must not- 
withstanding remark, generally, that the climate is very 
relaxing from excess of heat in summer, and very danger- 
ous from the precarious and uncertain vicissitudes of it iit 
winter. Those two seasons are however the most healthy. 
The spring and fall, as autumn is here called, are subject 
to vissitations of diarrha3 and fever, but not in so great a 
degree as in the lower parts of the river. These facts might 
be sufficient to deter moderate minds from exposing them- 
selves and families to such a climate and to such vicissi- 
tudes ; — if they be not, there are not wanting' others suffi- 
ciently cogent and strong to cause reflection at least before 
steps of such consequence as emigrations are taken. I have 
asserted and have to maintain it, that land is to be had of 
the most superior quality at an extraordinary low price. 
But I ask you, who are a lover of reasoning and an advo- 
cate of common sense, whether the words good and cheap 
are not to be considered as relative terms to be compared 
with those of moderate and dear, in order to distinguish 
their appropriate acceptations. But to have done with this 
jargon, and speak a more comprehensive language, 1 will 
give you an honest D^jttchman's opinion of the business, 
who has purchased experience and qualified himself to give 
instruction and advice: — Being dissatisfied with lands in 
Pennsylvania, which with hard and unceasing industry, 
yielded but from seven to twelve bushels of wheat per a- 
ere ; from twenty-five to thirty-five of corn ; and so on in 
proportion with other produce, he came into the Ohio state 
and purchased a very fine section from Congress at two dol^ 



52 TRAVELS IN 

lars per acre. This land was equal to his most sanguine ex- 
pectations. Three years after it was cleared it produced 
him one hundred bushels of Indian corn, and from forty 
to fifty of wheat per acre. This delighted the Dutchman; 
the argument appeared strong, and the old Pennsylvania 
iarm began to be talked of only to be despised. This tri- 
umph was but of short duration. The Dutchman was near 
two thousand miles from the principal market; this he 
could not attend ; slojckeopers and itinerant merchants 
bought his produce at their own prices in exchange, often 
for unnecessary goods, and the profits of his most luxuri- 
ous harvests were no more, saying the best, than those of 
Lis former farm, when in the vicinity of a market, where 
the price of produce always bore affinity to the quality of 
land and the labour employed to render it prolific. The 
Dutchman had to compare but one article: at his former 
market he could get from ten to twelve dollars per barrel 
for his flour, in his present situation he can get but three. 
And, as he is occasionally visited by grubs, flies, and clouds 
of locusts, he cannot average his wheat crop at above thir- 
ty nett bushels per acre ; therefore he and his family must; 
in future speak in less disrespectful terms of the old Penn- 
Srylvania farm, and recommend, as he tells me he always 
does, his former neighbours to enquire the price of pro- 
duce before they pretend to fix a value on land, or leave 
their old settlements without the good grounds of unpre- 
judiced calculations, and ample and liberal enquiries. 

I propose to leave this place to-morrow morning. I 
have not heard of any thing further of sufficient interest to 
improve or entertain, though you may be well convinced 
that I annt)y every person whose countenance beams intelli- 
gence, and even those whose features manifest none. I 
make no doubt that I. am considered a strange medley; an 
interrogative animal passing through society merely to 
perplex it with questions;, to gain all information and tc 
communicate none. Some stare* at me with astonishment 
when I abruptly address them, and others not knowing 
what to answer turn on their heel. What a foolish man,. 
Fay all, to loose his time and go in such uMuannex througb. 
the world, merely to ask questions! 



AMERICA. 9$ 



LETTER XL 



Charlesfoxon — Vicious taste in building to the river — copi-- 
ed from Philadelphia — its punishment — Navigation front 
Charlestown to Wheeling — this port-town described — its 
origin — sketch of the inhabitants and their propensities — 
a Virginian horse-race — a boxing-match — A ball and sup' 
per — the sequal a pathetic story. 

Wheeling, Virginia, April, 1806. 
THE morning after my departure from Stubenville> 
I dropped seven miles lower down to breakfast at Charles- 
town, on the opposite shore. 

Charlestown is finely situated on the Virginia side, at 
the junction of Buffaloe creek and the Ohio. It is a flour- 
ishing place, commanding the trade of the surrounding, 
rich settlement; and having many excellent mills, is much 
resorted to by purchasers of flour. The boats can be 
purchased at the Pittsburg price, and articles of provi- 
sion on very reasonable terms. 

The town, which contains about one hundred and fifty 
houses was originally well laid out with the best row fac- 
ing the river, and the intermediate space answered the pur- 
pose of a street, explanade and water terrace, giving aa 
air of health and cheerfulness gratifying to the inhabitants, 
and highly pleasing to those descending the stream. — How- 
^ever, owing to the avarice of the proprietor of the terrace, 
and a disgraceful absence of judgment and taste, he has 
sold his title to the waterside, and the purchasers are now 
building on it; turning the back of their houses immedi- 
ately close to the edge of the bank, and excluding all man- 
ner of view and communication from the best of the town. 
1'his violation of taste, it seems, is not to go unpunished.. 
The bank is undermining fast, and in a very few years, 
these obtruding edifices must fall unless removed. This 
vice of building to the high water mark, is not peculiar to 
Charlestown : Philadelphia set the example. Philadel- 
phia, which might have had an open airy explanade of four 
miles long, on a beautiful river, facing a delightful culti- 
vated shore, has not now thirty feet of quay. The stQX€- 



9* TRAVELS IN 

houses are absolutely built on piles in the water, andcroiid* 
ed on each other in such a manner, as to convey an idea 
of deficiency of land for the extension of the city, and ta 
carry on its commercial affairs. Philadelphia has long suff- 
ered by these disgraceful erections. Theyeilow fever there 
maintains a perpetual residence, or annually issues from' 
a crowded waterside to pollute the whole town, and carry 
off its thousands!*! could not resist apologizing thus much 
with the Charlestown citizens. They wished me good bye 
as I departed, and I previously wished them an improve- 
ment of reason and taste. 

The channel from Charlestown continued on the Vir- 
ginia shoie till 1 came to Beach Bottom, when it wore over 
to the right-hand side. The navigation then became in- 
tricate,, being obstructed by a ripple ;' Pike Island, Twin 
Islands, from being similar and close together, Glin's Run 
and Wheeling Island. From this last island to Wheeling, 
I beg you to observe how accurate one must be. These 
are the instructions. 

Channel on the Virginia shore — at the upper end keep 
near to the shore, thence across towards the island for a- 
bout one hundred yards; witen you come in sight of the 
next ripple, make still more towards the island, and after 
you pass the ripple, keep down near the middle between 
the shore and the island, till you pull in for Wheeling. — 
You may perceive from this, that a steersman has suffi- 
cient occupation, and that the oars^ must sometimes work. 

The town of Wheeling is well known as one of the most 
considerable places of embarkation to traders and emi- 
grants, on the western waters. It is a port-town, health-, 
fully and pleasantly situated on a very high bank of the 
liver, and is increasing rapidly. Here quantities of merch-^ 
andise designed for the Ohio country, and the upper Louis- 
iana, are brought in waggons during the dry seasons ; as 
boats can frequently go from hence, when they cannot 
from places higher up the river. Besides, as the naviga- 
tion above Wheeling is more dangerous than all the remain- 
der of the river, persons should undoubtedly give it the 
preference to Pittsburg. The distance by water to Pitts- 

• The great fire of London was eventually beneficial. The plague 
was frequent before that calamity, but since ihe improved airneas of lb© 
ailer-built streets^ it has never occurred. 



AMERICA. ^5 

burg IS eighty two miles ; by land only forty-five, by a 
good road. A coach runs from Philadelphia also, to this 
town, for thirty dollars each passenger; and the waggons 
which daily arrive, charge littJe more per cent, than the 
Pittsburg price. On the whole, 1 give this place a decide- 
cd preference, and prognosticate, that it will ultimately 
injure and rival all the towns above its waters. 

The town is formed of about two hundred and fifty 
houses ; ten of which are built of brick, eighteen of stone, 
and the remainder of logs. The plain on which it stands, 
containing about seven hundred agres, is surrounded by 
immense hills, except .op t.he lowermost side ; where it is 
bounded by a fine creek of clear water, near the head of 
which are erected some fine mills for flour and timber. 

This plain although, one hundred feet above low water, 
was originally formed by the river subsiding ; and there is 
a narrower place, or what is here called hoitoniy immediate- 
ly flowing from the hills^ which also was under water; but, 
by the growth of its timber, and superior height, its sub- 
mergement must have been at a much more remote period 
than that of the plain on \yhich the tovvn is built. A part 
,of the latter is now a very wnall but excellent race ground. 
The original settlers were not calculated to give import- 
ance to an infant establishment. Had they been so, had 
they attended to worthy commercial pursuits, and indus- 
trious and moral dealings, in place of rapine on Indian 
property, drunkenness, horse-racing, and cock-fighting, 
their town would have rivel^d JPittsburg long since, and 
have now enjoyed a respectable name. 

This part of Virginia was, at no very remote period, 
deemed the frontier, not only of Virginia, but of America. 
To this frontier all persons outlawed, or escaping from 
justice, fled, and resided without the apprehension of pi;n- 
ishmeiit, or the dread of contempt and reproach, 'rhey 
formed a species of nefarious republic, where equality of 
crime constituted a social band, which might to this day 
have remained unbroken, but for the effects of the conclu- 
sion of the Indian war, which extended the frontier across 
! -the river nearly to the Canada line, leaving the ancient 
boundary within the jurisdiction of government, and un- 
der the immediate grasp of the law. Tliose who fled from 
the restraints of moral and political obligations, were ex- 
- tiperat^d at this unforeseA-'u event, and feU hurt that {^ 



S^ TRAVELS IN 

better sort of people came among them. The consequence 
previously assumed by thieves and swindlers, fled the pres- 
ence of morals and justice. Such as were determined not 
to submit to an improvement of life, and a daily comparison 
of character, left the country ; while others, who " re- 
pented of their ways," remained, and are now blended 
with the better order of citizens. Of these materials, the 
society of this town is now formed. But I have it from the 
good authority of a quaker of high respectability, that 
the old settlers will all be botight out in time, and the place 
become new and regenerated. He founds his hopes on the 
belief that his friends, when backed by others of their pro- 
fession, to settle in the town, will gain an ascendaricy in 
the municipal affairs; abolish cock-fighting, horse-racing, 
fighting, drinking, gambling, &c. and, above all, enforce 
the observance of the sabbath and other solemn days. 

I assured the quaker, that if ever he saw his hopes re- 
alized, that he would not only clear the town of its origin- 
al race, but of every profligate whatsoever, and deter ^ 
others of similar description, from coming into it. He 
appeared much pleased at this assurance, though he deem- 
ed its consummation as arduous as Herculean labour. I 
fear in this respect he is too well founded : indeed, m}' ac- 
quaintance with the place, convinces me that much time 
and unremitted assiduity must be employed to make it a 
tolerable residence for any class of men, much less a so- 
ciety of quakers. The majority of the present inhabitants 
have no means whatever of distinguishing Sunday, but by 
a greater degree of violence and debauchery than the af- 
fairs of ordinary days will allow them to manifest. Evefl 
on occasion of business, the smallest occurrence will draw 
them from it, and expose it to total negligence. 

Yesterday two fellows drinking in a public-house, the 
conversation turned on the merit of their horses — two 
wretched aniinals they had ridden into town that morning, 
and which had remained fasting at a post. A wager, the 
consequence of every argument on this side the mountains, 
was made, and the poor brutes were galloped ofl' the race- 
course. ^I'wo thirds of the population followed :-^black- 
smiths, ship-wrights, all left work : the town appeared a 
cjesert. The stores were shut. 1 asked a proprietor why 
the vvharehouses <lid not remain open. He told me all 
good wasMonefor that day: that .the people would reiuaia 



AMERICA. 0^ 

on the ground till night, and many stay till the following 
morning. I was determined to see this Virginian recrea- 
tion, which caused ^uch an abandonment of care and busi- 
ness. On my arrival on the ground, the original race had 
been won, and the price of a saddle was collecting to ex- 
cite another course, and raise new o]}ponents. 'i his was 
soon effected : the course was cleared, and six poor devils 
were started for the saddle, and numerous bets laid by the 
owners and spectators. The number of persons interested 
in this affair, and some disputed points \Ahich occurred in 
the adjustment of it, gave rise to a variety of opinion : um- 
pires were called in : iheir judgment was rejected, and a 
kitid of general battle ensued. This affray over, the quar- 
rel took a smuller circle, confined to two individuals, a 
Mrginian by birth, and a Kentuckyan by adoj)tion. A 
r-ing was formed, and the mob demanded whether they 
proposed to fight fair, or to rough and tumble. The latter 
mode was pieierred. Perhaps you do not exactly under- 
stand the di:stinction of these terms. Fight fair however 
is much in the English manner; and here, as there, any- 
thing foul requires interference ; but when parties choose 
to rough and tumble^ neither the populace nor individuals 
are to intermeddle or hinder either combatant from tear- 
ing or rending the other on the ground, or in any other 
situation. You startle at the words tear and rend, and 
again do not understand me. You have heard these terms 
I allow applied to beasts of prey and to carnivorous ani- 
mals ; and your humanity cannot conceive them applica- 
ble to man : it nevertheless is so, and the fact will not per- 
mit me the use of any less expressive term. Let me pro- 
ceed. Bulk and bone were in favour of the Kentuckyan; 
science and craft in that (jf the Virginian. The former 
promised him-elf victory from his power, the latter from 
liis Silence. Very few rounds had taken place, or- fatal 
blows given, before the Virginian contracted his whole 
form, drew up his arms to his face, with his hands nearly 
cio;<^d in a coi.cavc, by ihe fingers being bent to the full 
extension of the flexois, and summoning up all his energy 
for one act of deeperiiti(;n, pitched himkcif into x\\c boscni 
of his opponent. Before the effects of this coidd be as- 
certained, the sky was rent by the shouts of the multi- 
tude ; and I couid learn that the Virginian had ex}; reused 
as much hauiy and skUi in his refracticn and bound j as li 
I 



$8 TRAVELS IN 

he had been bred in a menagerie, and practised action and 
attitude among panthers and wolves. The shock received 
by the Kentuckyan, and the Avant of breath, brought him 
instantly to the ground. The Virginian never lost his hold, 
like those bats of the south who never quit the subject on 
which they fasten till they taste blood, he kept his knees 
in his enemies body; fixing his claws in his hair, and his 
thumbs on his eyes, gave them an instantaneous start from 
their sockets. The sutfcrer roared aloud, but uttered no 
complaint. The citizens again shouted with joy. Doubts 
were no longer entertained ; and bets of three to one were 
oflered on the Virginian. The Kentuckyan not being able 
to disentangle his adversary from his face, adopted a new 
mode of warfare ; and, in imitation of the serpent which 
crushes such creatures to death as it proposes for its food, 
he extended his arms round the Virginian and hugged lum. 
into closer contact with his huge body. The latter dis- 
liking this, cast loose the hair and convex eyes of his ad- 
versary, when both, folded together like bears in an cm*- 
brace, rolled several turns over each other. The accla- 
mations increased, and bets run that the Kentuckyan 
'^'' wovld ghe out/' that is, after being mutilated and de- 
prived of his eyes, ears, and nose, he would cry out for 
mercy and aid. The public were not precisely right. Some 
(U^mon interposed for the biggest monster ; he got his ene- 
my under him, and in an inbtaiU snapt otlhis nose so close 
to his face that no manner of projection remained. The 
iitlle Virginian made one further, effort, and fastening on 
the under lip of his mulilator tore it over the chin. The 
Kentuckyan at length gave out, on which tlie people car^ 
ried off the victor, and he preferring a triumph to a doctor, 
who came to circatrizt^ his face, suffered himself to be 
chaired round the ground as the champion of the times, 
and the lirst rougher and tunihlcr. The poor wretch, whose 
eyes were started from their spheres, and whose lip re- 
fused its office, returned to the town, to hide his impotence, 
and get his countenance repaired. 

This spectacle ended, and the citizens refreshed with 
whiskey and biscuit, sold on the ground, the races v*ere re- 
newed, and possibly other editions of the monstrous his- - 
tory I have just recited ; but 1 had had sufficient of the 
sports of the dat/j and returned to my quaker friend, with 
whom I hadci!7;aged to take my dinner, lie wab afflicted. 



AMERICA. §g 

bilt by no means surprised at the news I brought him, and 
informed me further, that such doings were common, fre- 
quently two or three times a week j and that twice a year, 
or at the spring and fall races, they continued for fourteen 
days without interruption, aided by the licentious and 
profligate of all the neighbouring states. As to the savage 
practice of lighting in the manner of wild beasts, my host 
entertained no hopes whatever of ever seeing it put down. 
It might be called a national taste, which the laws appear- 
ed afraid to violate ; and therei'ore it reared its head above 
authority. Few nights elapsed without the exhibition of 
this new gymnastic ; few mornings appeared that did not 
bring to day a friend or acquaintance with the loss of an 
eye, or the mutilation of half his features. Alarmed at 
this account, I asked whether this kind of conduct spread 
down the river. I understood that it did on the left-hand 
side, and that I would do well to land there as little as 
possible: that many of the small inns on the Virginia and 
Kentucky shore, were held in solitary situations by per- 
sons cf infamous character, driven from the interior and 
the head waters, by the gradual encroachments made on 
them by morals, religion, and justice. At such taverns, 
there were always persons at no loss for a subject of quar- 
rel. The invariable consequence of which was, the loss 
of sight, and sometimes of life, and the total confiscation 
of property, by the viliians, who, on maiming, or murder- 
ing the innoffensive party, rush out of the house, sieze his 
boat and descend the river, never more to be heard of — the 
landlord swearing he had never seen them before, or had 
any knowledge to what pJace they belonged. All the tav- 
erns, however, are not so bad. There was generally to be 
found one of a better sort in towns and villages where there 
was some semblance of law, or some apprehension of just- 
ice. I again demanded how a stranger was to distinguish 
a good from a vicious house of entertainment ? I was ans- 
wered, by previous inquiry, or, if that was imj)racticable, 
a tolerable judgment could be formed, from observing in 
the landlord, a possession., 6r an a'jsence of ears : many of 
the proprietors of small inns being men who had left those 
members nailed to certain penitential market crosses in 
Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas, in lieu of cer- 
tain horses and cattle of which they had from time to time 
become the illegal owners. Furnished with these useful 



100 TRAVELS IN 

instructions, I left my kind entertainer, and retired to my 
inn with a view of passing a peaceable night. It was not 
so ordained. It seems the store keepers, and the principal 
citizens, knowing the people had no intention of returning 
to their avocations, had resolved to amuse tliemselves, and 
associated for the purpose of having a ball and supper at 
ihe principal inn. On my arrival the landlord, with much 
politeness, told me, that my quality of stranger and a gen- 
tleman, gave me a title to enter the public room. I bene- 
ited by this intimation, yet, notwithstanding the delicacy 
and hospitality it conveyed^ I could not resist casting a 
glance, e;? passant, at the head of my host, to observe 
T/hcther it was provided with ears. Pleased (n perceiving 
these ornamental appendages, or, to follow up the quaker's 
idea, these indications of character and safety, I entered the 
ball-room, which was filled with persons at cards, drink- 
ing, smoaking, dancing, &c. The music consisted of two 
fcangies, pla3''ed by negroes nearly in a state of nudity, and 
a lute, through which a Chickesaw breathed with m.uch 
occasional exertion and violent gesticulations. The danc- 
ing accorded with the harmony of these instruments. The 
clamour of the card-tables was so great, that it almost 
flrovvned every other: and the music of Ethiopia was with 
difficulty heard. A man should never judge of the princi- 
ples of the J'ntertainment of others, by his individual con- 
ceptions. This ball, considered a violent vulgar uproar 
I)y me, afforded the utmost delight to the assembly, and 
possibly would have concluded with infinite joy and satis- 
faction at an early hour next day, had not an unlucky 
■wight of a drank?n politician, seized a friend by the throat, 
and threatened to aiuiihilate him, if he did not drink 
** Damnation to Thomas Jeflferson." A bustle a!id crou-d 
collected about the parties; the ladies and the music made 
-a precipitate retreat, and I quickly followed, and learned 
from the landlord, who sat by his tire-side perfectly com- 
posed, that the ball was over — that a ruwhvuX commenced, 
>vhich was the signal for the retreat of the graces, and a 
general break up. I hinted at the propriety of his inter- 
^^'■^nce, when he very coolly told me, that if there were 
*^"y ruffians in company, it was fit they should be kicked 
*^"Jt, and that bad as the place was, there were always ^fn- 
^^^men at his balls who obligingly took that office on them- 
®*^lves. His words were soon verified. A cry of out, out ; 



AMERICA. iOi 

whip them all! issued from the room, immediately after a. 
torrent rushed throu^ the passage, and a noise of sticks, 
and cries, and execrations of every shade, modulation, and 
sort. The door locked on the whole party, and silence a^-^ 
gain restored, we visited the theatre of the late effervescence, 
and found but one person stretched on the ground. I was 
proceeding to express some apprehension, when my host ex- 
claimed — "Oh! it is Mr. , he is only drunk, he 

will remain here quietly till moiMing." With that he 
drew him along the lloor to a corner, and having placed 
a few chairs as a guard, considered that he had done much 
towards his accommodation. 

Though it was by this time far advanced in the night,, 
and [ felt no disposition to retire to rest; my mind was- 
too much agitated and full, to benelit by a too sudden, or 
forced repose; and I preferred the conversation of mine 
host one half-hour longer. It turned on the events of the 
day, and the evening amusement. He very candidly ad- 
mitted all I said in favour of more civilized recreations;, 
and even went so far as to tell me a variety of anecdotes, 
which from a respect for human nature, 1 suppress. Were 
it not for the intervention of a row^ which he considered' 
an innocent occurrence, the close of balls could never be 
ascertained. He had known them to continue for six and 
tliirty hours together, and many of the men, at other times,- 
have remained to gamble and drink for weeks atler the 
original festival. These balls and rows were frequently 
followed by duels. That ball or row was thought a mild 
one, which did not produce from two to three of the latter. 
. *' An affair of this kind happened" said my landlord, " a. 
few balls back, involving in its consequences, out of the 
common, and rather of a melancholy kind. A dispute," 
continued he, *' took place, in my house, between two 
young men, who hud been the most intimate friends, as 
much so that one of them, Mr. IL who is my neighbour, 
was to be married the Sunday after the ball and the dis- 
pute, to the sister of the other, lAlr. B. who lives but a 
small distance up the town. The ties to be formed frbni- 
this intention, former intimacy, and the interposition of 
love and friendship, were all of no avail : to tight they were 
determined ; place and time were cautiously appointed. 
But love is not easily to be deceived. Maria the sister of 
B, and the betrothed of H. received the tatal intelligence^ 
I 2 



102 TRAVELS IN 

]iastcn(-(l to the ground, and arrived — but in time only to- 
hear the shot, and receive a bleeding lover in her extended 
arms. The lead past through his lungs — he instantly ex-- 
pircd. The senses of Maria are lost : she knows no per- 
son : she has not spoke to a human being since ! I can shew 
her to you to-morrow ; a slender tall figure, her head and 
bosom covered v.ith a black veil ; her motion quick, and 
her air disturbed. She pas'^es every day in her way to a 
favourite grave, and returns with an appearance still more 
dejected and broken-hearted. But the poor maid will soon 
join her lover, and leave a world in which she imagines 
she has no friend. I could hear no more, the Virginian 
himself was moved. I ordeied a light, and gaining my. 
chamber cast myself on a bed to rest : yet not bctore 1 
cursed the ferocity of manners which reigns in this place, 
and which caused the eternal wretchedness and misery of" 
an object so aimable and instructing as my landlord's Ma- 
ria. It is int(dcrable. It is infamous. Farewell you caa 
account for my abrupt conclusion. 



LETTER XII. 



A'lTiml coacJi road from Philadelphia to Lexington in Ken- 
tHcky seven hundred miles. — Aeeommodafions on the rood 
— enchanting vallei/ and creeks —their origin — history of 
the first settlement of Cooandanaga hy Irish emigrants — • 
its judicious regulations — Mr. Fit zpat rick its head — nmn^ 
'/ler of passing Sunday in this little republic — general sifua- 
- Hon of its inhabitants — Long reach — Indian imitation of 
animals. 

Marietta, Slate of Ohro, May, l%oO, 
I HURRIED out of >Vheeling with a precipitation which 
precluded all further enquiries, and perhaps in a slate of 
mind unfavourable to the pursuit of any farther knowledge 
.of that place. There is a very beautiful island directly 
opposite Wheeling, to which there is a ferry, and another 
i*iry from the island to the Ohio shore^Avhcrc co.^.-:menccs 



AMERICA. T03 

II road leading to Chilicothe, and the interior of the State 
of which that town is the capital. The road for the most 
part is mountainous and swampy, notwithstanding which 
a mail coach is established on it, from Philadelphia to Lex- 
ington in Kentucky, through Pittsburg, Wheeling, and Chi- 
licothe, a distance of upwards of seven hundred miles, to 
be performed by contract in fifteen days. Small inns are 
to be found every ten, or twelve miles of the route. They 
are generally log huts of one apartment, and the enter- 
tainment consists of bacon, whiskey, and Indian bread; 
Let those who despise this bill of fare remember that seven 
years since this road was called the Wilderness, and travel- 
lers had to encamp, find their own provisions, and with 
great difficulty secure their hor-es from panthers and wolves; 
Another remark is to be made on this great road.. Direct- 
ly on ascending the mountain in the rear of Wheeling, an 
immense deep and gloomy valley appears in view; twelve 
miles long, by from two to six broad. It is completely 
surrounded by high mountains, through which there is but 
one small pass serving for the current of the water of a 
beautiful creek that traverses the valley twelve different 
times in search of a level to facilitate its course to the 
Ohio and the sea. The road crosses the creek at every 
trarers, and, for the entire length is nearly a perfect 
plain, adorned with trees of the most sumptuous growth ; 
with corn and wheat of an unexampled luxuriance, and en- 
circled by an amphitheatre of mountains, whose summits 
©t eternal verdure are often embraced by the clouds. The 
soil, composed of decayed vegetable substances, and putrid 
animal remains, appears like a fine gardt.i mould ; it is 
from three to sixteen feet deep, and judgitig from the chan- 
nel of the creek,, is deposited on gravel and lime-stone 
rock. There are eight settlers on this enchanting spot, 
M'ho have to regret nothing but the too transient visits of 
the sun, who in his meridian glory looks down on this lit- 
tle world, shedsuponit its most fervid rays, until intercept- 
ed by the mountains, towards the south he sets in the vig- 
our of the day. I was about to give you a chain of philo- 
sophical reasoning and evidence to bear me out in an opini- 
on that this valley was formed by the subsiding of water 
which found an avenue in a circuit of the mountain, and 
by attrition wore it to its base, when it lost its volume and 
ifuiuensity, and assumed the gentle character of the pre^ 



104 TRAVELS IN 

sent lovely vale drained of every thing noxious by a rapid 
and transparent creek, till I understood that the people of 
the country, not only entertained my opinion, but at once 
and without hesitation, called the place the " Dry Lake," 
or " the Valley of the Lake,'' by which name it is known 
to this day. I need mention but two of the motives on 
which they grounded their decision. 1st. The fissure in 
the mountain, through which the creek now flows, nearly 
from the origin to the base has, on each side, rocks, stones, 
and strata, wasted, indented, and hollowed ' by attrition. 
2dly, The mountains' sides, from top to bottom, exhibit a 
resular series of swells and falls which are known to be the 

o _ ... 

effect of the undulatory motion of waters and their peaod- 
ical rise and descent. 

About a mile below the dry lake, on the opposite side, a 
creek enters the Ohio, also from between the opening of a 
mountain. Immediately on leaving Wheeling, 1 worked 
my boat rather across the stream, and in less than ten mi- 
nutes dropped into the mouth of the creek, where I made 
fast, and prepared to ascend the hill, take a view^ of the 
back country, and, if inviting, range through it. I scramb- 
led with much difficulty to the summit, from which I plain- 
ly saw that the creek liowed through a valley nearly simi- 
lar to that of the dry lake. Perceiving a well improved 
l";lrm on the borders of the creek, and about a mile from, 
where I stood, I made for it, and on my arrival found a 
very intelligent settler, from a half hours ramble with whom 
I obtained the following particulars. 

The valley, Vv'hich was seven miles long, and from two 
to five broad, was called Coonandanaga, an Indian term, 
signifying the woody lake. It was watered by the creek in 
every direction, having a course beating from one side to 
the other till it issued where I had left the boat. This- 
creek has a great advantage over that I have just mention- 
ed on the opposite s.iue, for, having a rapid descent from- 
its fountain, it serves two capital mills which work at sea- 
sons when the water of others is entirely consumed. The 
great western road passes through this valley, and is at 
times so miry and bad, that the mail coach has been knowiv 
to pass through jt with difliculty in an entire day. The 
soil is immenbcly deep and nearly as black as coal. The 
timber is not near so large or so old as that of the dry lake,^ 
and a variety of other testimony rushes on the muid to- 



AMERICA. 105 

prove that the waters of this former lake had remained ma- 
ny centuries after those of the other had passed away. The 
wood is not the growth of many ages ; the soil is not chang- 
ed by exposure to external air, and much of the land is 
but now rising out of submergement, to receive the influ- 
ence of the wind and sun. The mountains encircling this 
spot are not quite so elevated as those around the dry lake* 
Those on the north-west side are the highest, which ac* 
counts in some degree for the waters forcing a passage to 
the south-east. 'I'he real bed of Coonandanaga is limestone 
rock, similar to that of the river and the dry lake. From 
consequences to be deduced from these facta ; from nume- 
rous other seats of lakes known in the country, and from 
the number of plains and bottoms which every where a- 
bound, formed, evidently on the retreat of water, and com- 
posed of vegetable and animal substances of every descrip- 
tion, it is manifest that the whole scope of country from 
above a range of mountains which cross the river some- 
where below the falls, as high up as Pittsburg, and border 
Lake Erie, once formed an immense chain of Lakes. The 
continued and remitting industry of water to find a level to 
the sea ; the constant though gradual waste by attrition, 
cr a convulsion of nature which rent every barrier to its 
base, at length let loose the waters ; drained the lakes, and 
the floods, entering from all parts of the higher to the low- 
er grounds, formed the bed of the river now called Ohio* 
Till persons of a better information disprove this — such 
shall remain my -lecideil opinion. 

As the first settlement of Coonandanaga embraces the 
history of many settlements in this part of the globe, I give 
ityou nearly in the words of my informer. 

Near ten years have elapsed since the daemon of revolu- 
tion had overthrown some of the best governments in P^u- 
rope, and she<l the baneful seeds ofdissention and anarchy 
over the surface of the eastern world. — ^The Irish, those 
imsophisticated children of nature, were the first to encour- 
age principles, which they were instructed to believe to be 
alone compatible with the rights and the dignity of man. 
The^' were taught to consider the throne and the altar as the 
mere instruments of national subversion, and morals and laws 
as nwthing more than unreasonable shackles, fit only to re- 
strain the mental and physical energies of bondsmen and 
slaves* It is not to be wondered at, that a people abau- 



106 TRAVELS IN 

doned to an instruction of this kind, and what is worse, a-* 
bandoned by the intelligent of their own community, who 
reside in great towns, or for the most part abroad, shou4d 
imagine themselves agrieved, and proceed to measures pre- 
sumed necessary to the promotion of public happiness, and 
the security of a general and individual liberty. In adopt- 
ing these criminal measures for the purpose of correcting 
visionary ill?, the}^ incurred the displeasure of government ; 
many expiated their offences on the scaffold, and others 
crossed the most distant seas. 

in the autumn of 1798, several thousands left Ireland^ 
buoyed up with a hope, that having escaped from the land 
of tyranny, they would be received in America with the 
acclamation of joy, or the sensibility of fraternal tears. At 
tlie period of their arrival, America was but regurgerating 
her own rebels, and saw with alarm the superfluity of other 
nations thrown into her bosom. Besides, as these unfor- 
tunate Irish generally came in ships crowded with from 
three to five hundred ea<ch, and furnished with provisioiv 
unhealthy and scanty, they consequently arrived in a shock- 
ing state, and had to be succoured by individuals, or takea 
into public hospitals. 

Independently then of the dislike the American govern- 
ment began to entertain to the importation of rebel and 
disaffected doctrines, they saw a serious danger in receiv- 
ing such a number at a time of sickly and wretched o-bjects, 
■who for want of means, character and health, could not be 
able to assist themselvds, and therefore should become a 
burden to the state : they remonstrated with the cabinet at 
St. James's, and that court decreed that no legal banish* 
ments should be made to America. 

"llie ship in which my informer,. Mr. Fitzpatrick came, 
left Cork for Philadelphia, with two hundred emigrants ; 
in consequence of being stifled in the hold, want of provi- 
sion and water, seventy-six died, and were cast overboard; 
on her arrival at Wilmington, on the Delaware, eighty- 
seven more were received into the hospital, and the re- 
maining thirty-seven walked ;>n to Philadelphia there to beg 
the streets. A few of these were advised to go to the city 
of Washington in search of work ; a few more died of want, 
contagion, and misery, while Fitzpatrick, and fifteen follow- 
ers, aided by a small sum of money, clothes, and instru- 
ments of husbandry, generously made up for them by a so- 



AMERICA. 107 

<ri*e*y of Irishmen in Philadelphia, set off for the western 
.country^ and arrived at Coonandanaga, where they deter- 
noined to stop. The vicinity of the vale to the main water^; 
the great utility of a creek commanding a fall of tliirty 
feet in less than one mile, and the light manner in which 
t-hey found the land timbered, were the motives for this 
preference. The land itself was not at first much esteemed 
by these settlers. Black and mixed with roots and other 
deleterious substances, they feared it might be similar to 
the bogs of their own country, which yielded nothing but 
jnoss, heath, rushes, and flags, and refused melioration 
even from the severest industry, A little observation 
proved the fallacy of their ideas on this head. They lo- 
.cated the valley the first season, cleared about five acres ot 
ground each, and planted Indian corn, cabbage and a few 
potatoes. These throve to such an astonishing degree, that 
more land was joyfully cleared for the following year, 
planted in like manner, and that of the former season re- 
served for wheat. Owing to the extreme richness of the 
«oil, the wheat crop failed : it ran up to stalk above seven 
feet high, and bore little or no corn. ?]aving been since 
reduced by several successive heavy crops of Indian corn, 
it begins to bear wheat in considerable perfection, though 
it still rambles much above the reapers head. The cab- 
bages grow to a great size, yet are not of a permanent util- 
ity, in consequence of their being overrun, eaten or perfo- 
rated by millions of insects, before they can in any quan- 
tity be brought into use and laid by as a winter provision. 
The potatoes are large, s])ongy and wet. 

The houses of the settlement are built with much com- 
fort and neatness. Thouglrscattered through the vale, the 
settlers have the good sense to unite on all occasions which 
require the power of many hands. Hence buildings for 
residence and convenience, clearing land, and rolling pon- 
derous and heavy logs, are effected in a proper and speedy 
manner, without consuming the health and wasting the 
timeof apoorindividual,who,had he the whole to complete 
through his own means and industry, would droop or sink 
under the task before it was a tenth part completed. 

I met with nothing so sensible and so judicious as this 
little republic since I crossed the mountains. The mem- 
bers of it attone, by a regulated and laborious life, for the 
j>olilical sius they comjuiLted. 1 attribute the wisdom of 



108 TRAVELS IN 

itiis conduct and the prudence of these resolutions to th« 
council and example of their leader, Mr. Filzpatrick, whom 
the governor of the state has chosen as the Justice of their 
district, and whom they themselves have elected as their 
m-inister and teacher. Mr. F. joins to a good natural un- 
derstanding, corrected and improved by adversity, an exr- 
cellent heart and a mind formed to impress on others a 
love oi virtue and morality. On conversing with him some 
time, I ceased to wonder at the account he gave me of 
liimself and associates. So true it is that the example of 
wisdom and goodness is captivating ; that it shines out in 
the actions and countenances of those who practice them; 
reforms folly and vice, and spreads its inftuence over the 
untutored residents of the most untutored wilderness. I 
could not helploving this good man, and of sincerely wishing 
that all misguided emigrants, on abandoning their country 
and their homes, might choose such a character for their 
leader. 

Having learned his difierent functions, I was desirous of 
knowing where they were exercised, and asked him accor- 
dingly. The boys and the children, replif:(! Mr. F. meet 
me at the mill on the afternoon of every Sunday. We there 
administer the little justice that is wanted amcng us, say a 
few prayers, and then make a hurling match in ihe man- 
ner of 02//' ou'fi country. But if any oH ihe boys be absent, 
from sickness, the hurling match cannot go on, as we have 
agreed among ourselves to visit any sick neighbour on Sun- 
day, see that he want for nothing, and, if his indispobition 
continue, look after his stock, get his harvest in, and re- 
pair his house against the rif^ur of winter ! 

I would not injure the beauty and excellence of this 
little narrative by any remark, were there not a few words 
employed in it that may not, according to their spirit, be 
exactly understood. 

When Mr. F. says "the boys and the children," he 
means his old companions and their families, and uses the 
other appaicntly unappropiiate word as a term of famili- 
arity and endearment, becoming in him as their leader, 
pastor, and friend. The next expression, "our own coun- 
try," is more peculiar to the Irish than to any other emi- 
grant whatever, and does them much honour. The longer 
they reside abroad the more the attachment to their own 
country" increases. Evcit llioic whom the law rejected; 



AxMERICA. 109 

and others who left their homes under the most violent 
prejudices of a deluded misconception and heated mind, 
are the first to talk of their *' own country/* its pleasant 
hills, green fields, and temperate and happy climate. Their 
pastime, and their songs too, are national, and their con»- 
versation in general, commence how they may, end in 
traditiou. and legendary talc. — Convinced of this, you will 
not be surprized to hear that very few Irish alienate their 
political rights, by swearing allegiance to other powers, 
notwithstanding their casting olT responsibility to their own 
state. At least there is hardly one Irish subject in this 
part of the world who has become an American citizen, 
Uhd certainly not even one who thinks so little of his "own 
country," as to set on that title any manner of considera- 
tion or respectful consequence. 

The last phraise I shall elucidate in jNIr. F's simple nar- 
rative is, *' and repair his house against the rigours of 
winter." In this country in general, most all settlers 
houses are built of logs, between which there are large 
interstices, which require to be filled with well temj^ered 
clay. Where good clay can be produced this filling up 
jemains permanent, but where mould or black earth is 
employed, as a substitute, the heat of summer crumbles it 
to dust, and the winds blow it through the whole of the 
apartment. For the want of clay the houses of Coonan- 
danaga were therefore every summer reduced to a mere 
shed, through which tlie elc'uent took an uncontrouled 
range, and were it not for the admirable regulation of these 
associated emigrants, "to repair a sick man's house against 
the rigours of winter," his disorder would naturally increase 
or he would perish from neglect and inclemency. 

Thr^^e or four of the original settlers are dead, and all the 
rest have past through the dangerous ordeal of a season- 
ing, that is, they were from time to time reduced to death's 
door, and recovered, with the blood i^o thiimed, and con- 
stitution so altered, that the climate cannot act upon it 
with the same violence it exercises on a virgin subject. It 
is necessary only to add, that these poor settlers were as 
happy as people could be, who had left their own green 
fields for teen^ing swamps and burning hills ; and who had 
leftacleai and healthy sky, for au atmosphere surcharged, 
atone litnc, with sulphurious clouds and fxtid f(>g»^,and at 
anotlKM-, with all the putrid iiud faety particles of death. 
K 



11® TRAVELS IN 

They also liad to pine for the absence of the sun a great 
portion of the year. In winter he seldom entirely dispersed 
the vapour which lay densed on the place, and in summer 
his visits were uncertain and trancient. 

You may ask how a valley can at times be so unsuffera- 
bly hot which is expoiied to so little action of the sun. In 
1/arope you seek the shade and the covert of groves as a 
shield against heat. Here the very reverse is practised. 
The open plain, the tops of hills, alone can be endured. 
Protected valleys and immense woods are found to con- 
tain a heat so pestilential, that man and beast abandon 
them during the fervor of the day, and seek for situations 
to which the air has access. In extensive dense wildernes- 
ses, and in the bosom of vales surrounded by mountains 
and woods, the air of summer completely stagnates, and 
remains unruffled, though that of open plains and summits 
is in continual agitation and perpetually renewed. There 
is nothing more common here than to hear it said *' it is 
now too hot to work in the woods,'' which is saying, it is 
better to work in the open ^ir, though exposed to all the 
ardour and violence of the sun. 

I returned to my boat, accompanied by Mr. F. and sev- 
eral of his children, one of which was loaded with a basket, 
with which his father, when at a distance from me instruct- 
ed him to bring from his house. I did not return but 
chose to follow the creek in order to observe the characters 
of the passage in the mountain which allowed the former 
waters and the present stream to become tributaries to the 
river and the sea. Mr. F. no sooner observed the subject 
of my speculation, than he informed me that he and his 
friejids had no manner of doubt but that they had settled 
" in the bottom of a lake/' *' Look," said he, "at the 
upper part of the o])ening how it has been torn asunder by 
some earthquake, and the under parts for the matter of 
twenty tect seem carried away by the constant current of 
the waters." The aj^peal was strong, the facts evident ainl 
unequivocal. I had nothing more to do than to gain my 
boat, where the children had arrived before me, and spread 
on a table the contents of the basket. It consisted of a 
wild turkey, some fresh butter, and a loaf of Indian bread. 
" 1 thought," said Fitzpatrick, " before 1 put the blessing 
of God on }0ur honour, 1 would take care your honour 
had something to eat." I made no reply to this. Mindetk 



AMERICA. Ill 

understood me. He put a bottle of rum, some powder 
and lead into the basket : strung some Indian ornaments 
round the children's necksj and without further ceremony 
hastened the whole party ashore. He then poled the boat 
out of the creek on which we all took to our stations and 
gdined the true current in a few strokes of the oars. 

The true current is on the Virginia side. On bearing 
.across, I could just perceive below Wheeling, the remains 
of an old fort standing on the point of land formed by the 
junction of Big Wheeling creek and the Ohio river. 

if I except the very extraordinary beauty of the river, 
its islands, bays, indentions, elevated, and, in many places, 
cultivated banks, adorned by houses, and resounding with 
the varied noise of social and busy life, nothing else oc- 
curred to me during the day particularly worthy your at- 
tention ; for I am well persuaded you do not expect a de- 
scriptive voyage down a river to consist of every tine view, 
or to pourtray every striking prospect, bend, turn, or as- 
pect which it is susceptible of assuming. What in truth 
is more tiresome than a continued strain of luxuriance of 
mountains' crowned tons, of hills' variegated pride, enam- 
elled meads, meandering streams, dashing cataracts, and 
falling floods ? I proceed then in the manner I originally 
made you to expect, that is to give thoughts, observations, 
and occurrences as occasions and circumstances demand, 
without forcing them from objects fatiguing to dwell upoa 
and useless to recount. 

It would be unpardonable, however, to omit mentioning 
a place I arrived at in the evening. It is called Long 
Reach, is forty-seven miles from Wheeling, and is eighteen 
miles long. Having arrived there rather late at night, and 
being somewhat intimidated by the majestic appearance 
of the river, I resolved to remain till morning, make fast 
to the shore, and encamp after the manner of my proceed- 
ing at Grape Island. This occupied no great time; a good 
fire was lighted, the Coonandanaga turkey prepared, and 
supper and refreshment spread under the lengthened gloom 
of a large walnut-tree. Something recruited by such ex- 
cellent refreshment, I took a solitary walk along the shore, 
and could not avoid remarking, the extraordinary difference 
which the arrival of two or three poor individuals could 
eft'ect over an immense region of forest. On our first arrival, 
silence almost terrific and certainly awful, reigned through 



112 TRAVELS IN 

the woods. The hour was too early for beasts to prowl, 
and too late for birds to sing. Nature seemed to enjoy a 
calm, but to us gave a painiul repose. Whereas now the 
noise of our axe was returned from afar, the voice of hi- 
hour revi berated in our ear, the smc-ke rose to the sky, 
and the vivid tiames of the fire shed a blaze of comfort 
around, relieved the solemnity of the scene, and spread a 
golden radience over the surface of the water. 1 was 
drawn from this meditation by Curl, (whose b*st talent, I 
iind, to consist in a propennty to imitate wild beasts, and 
vviit> jnofesses to howl like a wolf better than any of his 
jiution) he had just begun a S(jIo so exquisite in judgment, 
>a correct in expression, and so natural in cadence, that 
the very daemons of the woods awoke and joined him in 
horrid ch(jrus. Fearful his imitative powers might in\ite 
^ome unwelcome visitors to the neighbourhood of my camp, 
i begged of him to suppress his propensity till less danger 
siiuald be apprehended from its exercise. He told me,- 
%vhut I indeed knew, that where there was fire, thefe was 
no danger ; that if 1 would let him go into the wood with 
;ny gun, he would cry like a young opossum, and bring me 
A wolf or a bear in half an hour. Though convinced of his 
Ciipacity, and the little difficulty he had to personify a 
brute, I declined his intimation, but told him, if he wished 
to amuse himself, he might sit on the stern of the boat, 
MJiile I took a glass of grog at the fire; and in a low voice, 
give me specimens of all the languages he had acquired in 
liis early intimacies with the inhabitants of the woods. 
Quite pleased with the serious manner 1 addressed him, 
and delighted with the term " Language, which 1 gave his 
ixvi, he took his station, and asked me what he shauld begin 
with ; whether he was to lure or to alaim ? 1 told him 
rirst to lure and then to alarm, by way of safety for the 
night. On hearing this, Mindeth stepped into the boat, 
took some arms, and silently placed himself beside. Cuff 
began. I must do him the justice to acknowledge, that 
never was man more perfect, more inimitable in this pro- 
fession, this science, for which the world yet wants a name. 
He passed through all the varied modulaiicns between in- 
fancy and old age ; between a fawn and an elk ; between 
a young calf and a buffalo bull. 'J'he beasts of the lorest 
were deceived. Much commotion ensued. 1 he stir and 
agitation approached, Mindeth fired a gun and renewed 



AMERICA. 113 

his fire. Cuff next began to alarm. Savage must that 
beast have been, into which such cries did not strike fear. 
From the malignant 3^eU of the tiger cat, up to the pan- 
ther's bloody roar ; the wolfs howl and the bear's rugged' 
voice; all were heard, and all gave alarm. lie ceased. A 
tmiversal cry was uttered through the woods, which struck 
the Virginia shore, beat against the opposite hills, and at 
length died in the distant windings of the water. 

I rewarded this extraordinary talent with a bumper of 
spirits, and asked if all the people of his nation were as 
karnedas himself, or much versed in his accomplishments; 
he replied^ that by this time he expected they were much 
more so, for that they could continue to improve ; while 
he, from residing long among the whites, had not only not 
learned any thing, but io.st much of the information he 
originally possessed. He formerly could imitate birds, 
gobble like a turkey, and crow like a cock ; but now he 
does not know whether he could enveigle birds by these 
arts, or lure foxes ^nd racoons toaj)proach a snare or a trap. 
Yet he hoped to be exercised on the way and to recover his 
usual powers. Such is this poor fellow. Though he came 
to me without any charur(L*r whatever., except the vague 
one, " of knowing something of the waters," I begin to 
think him a great acquisition, and shall afford him every 
possible opportunity of following his propensity, and im- 
proving his voice. , I have just instructed him to crow in 
the*raorning like a cock, in order to rouse up all hands. 
That I may obey the fellow's summons which 1 have no 
doubt will be given, I hastily wish you a good night, and 
leave my intended description to my next. This fellow's 
nonsense has put every sublime idea out of my head. 



K 2 



114 TRAVELS IN 



LETTER XIIL 



Fugs — night and day currents, their variation, advantages 
and disadvantages — Indian practical philnsophy — a sub' 
lime prospect — an interesting breakfast — seitleinent of the 
hanks of Long Reach — description of them — passage to- 
Marietta — a dangerous fall — Little Muskingum River-— 
Marietta, a Nourishing toivn deserted — ship-building and 
cominercial entcrprize — has the only church from Pitts- 
burg, one hundred and eighty miles distant — the laws, 
strictly e? forced — its tradesmen, generals, colonels, ma-^ 
Jors, Sfc. 

Marietta, State of Ohio, May, 1806, 

I WAS roused at a very early hour by the Mandau 
Chanticlier, but as the fog was not off the waters, I defer- 
red my departure till it was in some degree dispersed by 
the solar rays. I have known the fog remain till twelve 
at noon, and even for two or three hours after. At such 
times the navigation is more dangerous than on the darkr 
est night. The channel, islands, rocks, ripples, snags,, 
sawyers, and a variety of other dangers, are not visible. — 
The true channel cannot be seen, nor the true current ob- 
served ; and, possibly, owing to the density of the atmos- 
piiere» the noise of the waters beating against objects ne- 
cessarily to be avoided, remains drowned and unheard* 
I might with truth remark, that navigating at night is, in 
many respects, safer than in a foggy day. For at night 
the noise of Mater in falls and ripples, and against rocks 
and impediments, is heard at a much greater distance than 
it is on the iinest day, much less on one, when sound 
would be retarded by vapour and corrupted air. I have 
heard the water roar on a fine night, to such a degree, as 
to impose a belief that I was immediately ajrproaching a 
dreadful fall or tumbling cataract., After running twa 
hours, nearly ten miles, with the utmost precaution and 
constant look-out, I found the terrific noise to proceed 
from the current dashing through the top of a tree, whose 
root had got fast near the bed of the stream. In the day I 
have often seen a lergc tree almost ercct^ aad in a birailaj? | 



AMERICA. 115 

situation; but the noise the passing water made over it 
was only to be heard when close at hand. These tacts, 
though I do not presume to account for them, are equally 
singular and fortunate : at night the navigator is warned 
of danger he cannot see: in the day he beholds a danger 
which cannot be heard. There are, however, two alarm- 
ing peculiarities belonging to the night, which should not 
go unnoticed. 1st. The current differs considerably in 
character from the current of the day. In the day its 
breadth is contracted, often to within the width of the 
boat, or less ; and it delights in hokling a favourite shore; 
so much so that it is difficult to steer clear of the bank, 
which, after caressing some hours, it hastily abandons, 
makes nearly across, as if to enjoy, for a certain time, the 
beauties of the opposite shore. In the night the current 
diffuses itself more generally — spreads out, and finally 
reaches the middle of the river, where it maintains itself 
with grace and majesty till the morning, when it contracts 
in sphere, increases in power, and alternately visits either 
bank. Were there no obstacles in the middle of the river, 
this circumstance of a nocturnal current, varying from the 
daily channel to the centre, would be highly favorable, 
but as islands and sand bars every three or four hours oc- 
cur, it becomes dangerous. I must confess my ignorance 
of the latent principle which occasions the variation of 
current. My loose opinion on the subject is derived from 
observing, that in the day, the air, iiearlj/ alwai/s, has an 
inclination to come up the river, or to traverse it from side 
to side : and iis action is also so high as to be seen on the 
leaves of the trees when the surface of the water is entirely 
unruffled. Whereas, at night, as the inclination of the air 
is always down the liver, when unaffected by storms ; and 
as the volume, density and weight of the air, are augment- 
ed to an incalculable degree, by the absence of the sun 
and the descent of his exhalations, it may be presumed that 
these great changes in the direction and power of the at- 
mosphere may operate a change on the current of the wa- 
ters. The more so as it is known that the air and body of 
vopour, rejected by the sky after the setting of the sun, 
seek for the centre of rivers and the sinuosities occasioned 
by valleys or creeks. This body of air then, of power, 
course and volume, so superior and contrary to that of the 
day, pressing on the centre of the river, eitiicr causes there 



lie tRAVELS IN 

an additional current, or, by some secret lawr of attraction, 
draws the current of the day trom the side to the centre. I 
find the observation made by all navigators to be, tbat a 
boat makes much more way at night, thaa in the day ; and 
that it holds the middle of the river. You perceive, by this>. 
that I am supported in my fact^ but I have never met with 
any one who could assist me to its elucidation. As to a 
boat's going faster at night, I am not quite so much at a' 
loss for an argument ; having on her an encreased weight 
of atmosphere, and a course of air not running in opposi- 
tion to the water, she must proceed with more velocity 
than when the sun deprives her of this pressure, and, by 
shifting the action of the air gives her a contrary impetus. 
But why a boat holds the middle of the river at night, ia 
an apparent current, whose principle is dissipated on the 
return of day, 1 cannot determine; and what 1 have said,, 
you are to consider as loose hints, and not as the result of 
systematic and philosophical opinion. 

The second alarming peculiarity belonging to nocturnal 
navigation, is in the lalsity of vi&ion, and in the little de- 
pendence which can be placed on the judgment in regard 
to the distance^ cbaracter, extent, and eveB nature of ob- 
jects. I have heard of a man, who ran his boat on the 
point of an island, mistaking it for an object, which, for 
upwards of an hour before, he had imagined floating. before 
him. And, more than once, on hearing the roaring of wa- 
ter, or apprehending some other danger below me, I have 
dropped down six mile-) while pulling for safety into ashore 
on which I thought I couUt have cast a biscuit when I first 
began to work across the stream. At other times I have 
been greatly deceived, on making land at night, as to my 
opinion of the nearest bawk, alter taking the nearest for 
the most distant, 1 have run the boat's head against a 
bank I calculated far from me. My poor Maiulanian, 
Cuff, whom I have more than once introduced to you, see- 
ing me perplexed at a moment of expected danger, to know 
what shore to pull to, jumped on the roof of the boat, and 
giving it a sudden stroke with an oar, listening to the re- 
luming sound. The left shore first repeated the strgke.; 
and next, after a small interval, the right. *' The leit: 
shoi-e," said Cuff, with a modest confidence, ** is but three 
hundred yards, and the right a mile from us." He was 
perfectly correct y I was fateful lo him for his instruction, 



AiMERlCA. 117 

l&"6f could I check an idea, that the whites theorise on phi- 
^oj-ophy, while it is practised by the Indian: neither couUl 
I resist looking for further instruction ; and asking him 
\vhether his rule held good on all occasions? he replied, as 
I might well have Conceived, "It did not : that the echo 
in some lew parts of the river never answered at all ; and, 
that in dainp or rainy weather, it also failed telling which 
was the nearest side/' I am confident, that in general the 
rule is good and beneficial. So nuich tor a digression: it 
is surely time to proceed. 

It was eight o'clock in the morning before the fog began 
to disperse in a sufficient degree to encourage my departure 
with safety. I then began to form some idea of my situa- 
tion, and of the vieVv before me. To do this with the more 
precision I paddled my canoe into the middle of the river, 
tirst sending the boat on before me, directing her to keep 
the right bank, and to look well out. I no sooner gained 
the centre^ than I perceived that the part of the river 1 occu- 
pied was about a mile broad, bounded with high hills, 
crowned with sumptuous trees, and the banks decorated 
with the most beautiful flowers. I could with difficulty 
make these few observations, before my canoe drifted into 
the part called the commencement of the Long Reach, on 
which the river appeared metomorphosed, as if by enchant- 
ment : it became not less than three miles wide ; the 
mountains bended off to the right and left, and subsided 
into fine wooded ground, and an object like a man of war 
in full sail, moved majesiically in the centre. This very 
interesting vision arose from the looming of an island di- 
rectly before me, and in the timbers of which, some re- 
luctant fog was yet lurking. 1 worked to the left shore, 
and had an uninterrupted view down the Long Reach to its 
extremity, where it appeared bounded by a mountain of 
extraordinary height. In the middle was a chain of islands 
which divided this lovely portion of the river into two 
channels of unparrallclled beauty and exactitude. The 
right-hand channel in particular, which is considerabl}' the 
best, is straight as an artificial canal, deep as a lake, and 
i;mooth as glass. 1 crossed over to it between the extre- 
mities of the first and second island, and on entering it 
could see through the vista, formed by the narrow part of 
the river which concludes tl,ie long reach, a distance of 
eighteen miles. 



118 TRAVELS IN 

The banks being comparatively low, are settled by manjr 
families, who build their houses and cultivate their lands 
in such a manner as to contribute vastly to the general iiv 
terest of the scene. Cornfields, pasture grounds, herds of 
cattle, ascending smoke, the voice of man, and the varied 
noise of domestic animals, relieved my thoughts from the 
overwhelming impression they at first received, on the ob- 
servance of nature in a character so new and inexpressibly 
sublime. Happy to have an opportunity of unbending my 
mind after such solitude, admiration, and reflection, [ 
paddled down the stream, passed my boat which was pro- 
ceeding at between three and four miles an hour, and drop- 
ped down to a house which had a neat appearance, and a 
something which indicated comfort. I drew my canoe u^ 
the bank, went to the house, and soon discovered I was 
not very wide in my judgment. A clean and orderly 
looking family sat at a breakfast composed of maiz and 
milk. " Good morrow, stranger/' (was uttered involunta- 
rily by all) "how fares it?" continued an old man, 
" have you broke your fast this morning ? if not, we have 
but just sat down." I made little other reply tha% 
that of drawing a stool, sitting to table, and helping my- 
self very plentifully in a cedar bowl handed me by one of 
the family. When it was perceived that my appetite was 
somewhat appeased, by the sweetest breakfast I think I 
ever ate in my life, the usual questions were put to me; 
but not put in the impertinent and intrusive way of the east- 
ern states, to discover the extent of one's property and 
private views, but merely as a species of chit chat, or sort 
of rural good breeding, to engage attention, pass time, and 
divert the mind. I said the usual questions, presuming 
you know they consist of, How goes it stranger ? Where 
are you bound ? Are you from the old country ? What 
part ? &c. Having answered these inoffensive questions as 
much to their satisfaction as my time would permit, I, in 
my turn reversed the tables, and poured in my regular se- 
ries of queries^ which produced the following few remarks. 

The banks of Long Reach were partially settled in con- 
sequence of the excellence of the land and the retreat of 
the miountains into the back country, leaving several fine 
plains of five miles extent, running to the water ; whereas 
on most other parts of the river, the mountains bound the 
\vater board so close, that there is seldom sufficient left for 



J 



AMERICA. ng 

the purposes of improvements and agriculture on a large 
scale ; i( bottoms be excepted, which sometimes contain 
several thousand acres, but they are for the most part un- 
healthy, having no vent towards the adjacent country, and 
being formed of decayed vegetable and other substances, 
as well as being subject to occasional inundations. The 
climate of Long Reach has been another motive of prefer- 
ence. It is supposed cooler in summer in consequence of 
its being more exposed and open than other parts, and 
more temperate in winter than places where hills and moun- 
tains attract rain and cold from the clouds. An extraordi- 
nary proof of some difference existing in the climate is, that 
there are trees and shrubs now growing in the islands and on 
the bank of Long Reach, which are ouly found three hundred 
miles above and two hundred below it. Of the three islands 
in the reach, one of them produces little else than fir or 
pine, which flourishes in great perfection, though no other 
island in the river furnishes a single stick of it, nor is any 
of such excellence nearer than the head waters of the Mo- 
nongahela. The shrubs distinguishing the Reach, are the 
arbutus and the honey locust, neither of which are to be 
found above, though they grow lower down the river about 
two hundred miles. The crops never fail, and yield more 
than four times the quantity known in the Atlantic States; 
but owing to the distance of the market, the imposition of 
the itinerant purchasers, atfid the low price and wretched 
articles they give for produce, the ])rofits are inferior, and 
for a certain part of the produce, such as fruit, vegetables, 
and poultry, there is seldom any sale. '^I'he advantage these 
settlements enjoy over the Atlantic farms, is, that they re- 
quire less labour, no manure, and lie adjacent to plenty of 
lish and game. 

The reach (to use the old man's words) is moderate 
Wealthy. Fevers, however, are perfectly well known, and 
intermittents are annually heard of. On the whole, how- 
ever, to come to some general conclusion, 1 think the Long 
Reach a very distinguished part of the Ohio ; it is exposed 
to a free circulation of air ; the shore is of a clean gravel ; 
the banks are low without being swampy; the wood is or- 
namental as well as useful, and fine rich plains extend to 
the mountains equal to the most extensive speculations in 
agricultural and rural pursuits. I venture to predict, that 
the Reach will one day become the seat of a great town. 



120 TRAVELS IN 

if that happen, tlie land will increase in estimation ; at pre- 
sent it sells for but two dollars per acre, and that to be ' 
paid by four annual iiistallments ! 

My entertainers were Germans. We parted with many 
expressions of good will. The old man came down with 
me to my canoe, and when I had taken my seat and pad- 
dle, launched me with a push in-to the stream. The day 
was calm, the sun shone hot, but I went with such rapidity 
down the current, that I felt sufficient air to give a tolera- 
ble coolness. It took me however two hours to recover 
my boat, which I at length moored ashore, and indeed, 
might have parsed it, had my attention not been attracted 
by the more than stentorian voice of Cuff, who hailed me 
with the cry of " Sago ( Sago ! Master." Owing to the 
great taciturnity of the Indians, they make particular words 
express a variety of sensations ; hence the small word „ 
*' Sago,'* implies joy and satisfaction at an unexpect- I 
ed meeting. 1 pulled into shore, and enquiring the mo- 
tives of the boat not continuing her course, found that my 
servant had got alarmed at the length of my stay, and per- 
liaps his fears arose out of the dreadful stories told him by- 
Cutf of the terrific nations who formerly lived on the bor- 
ders of the Long Reach, and whose remains, if still in the 
neighbourhood, might take me prisoner, carry me to the 
woods, and, after certain scalpings and tort\ues, offer me 
up in sacrifice to the god of their fathers, and the spirit of 
the lakes. Having chid the one for telling such foolish 
stories, and the other for attending to them, we cast otf 
the boat, and being determined to reach INIarietta that 
night, I took the helm, minutely observing the current, and 
V'orked hard the oars. It is not a little singular that the 
i>orti from the Long Reach exactly resembles the entrc. . 
On looking back the eighteen n»iles of the narrow passage 
of the river represents a vista, the tops of whose trees ap- 
pear to join, and in looking forward, what exhibited a con- 
tracted but beautiful avenue at a distance, opeuk into the 
ordinary breadth of the river, which again becomes guard- 
ed by high mouiitains, immense rocks, and all the insignia 
peculiar to the *vater abov^ Long Reach. | 

The water runs a mile an hour faster between the Reach | 
and Marietta than it does in the reach itself. This of course ] 
is to be attributed to the contraction of the current, an.d 
to a few ripples and islands ia the way which force the- 



AMERICA. 121 

stream into a small compass, and increase its action on 
bodies floating on its surface. I found I went between six 
and seven miles an hour in common; between eight and 
ten on passing particular points and islands. This gave me 
great hopes of arriving at an early hour. It was fortunate 
that I gave myself so much active occupation, for the riv- 
€1 afforded few objects for the mental amusement. 

The contraction of the river, the height of its bounda- 
ries crowned with stately trees, and the inaccessibility of 
its surface to the direct rays of light, give it a solemn and 
gloomy aspect, and this effect was considerably augmented 
by the consequent colour and depth of the water, which 
appeared in many places an abyss, black as Erebus. Oa 
passing tiirough that portion of the river which inspires the 
most painful solemnity, I arrived at a chain of islands, call- 
ed the Brothers, ran down the right hand channel, and on 
reaching the foot of the la^st island, perceived a fall in the 
river, and that the current wore through it in the form of 
a Z. The channel was very little broader than the boat, 
confined between rocks, the slightest touch against which 
would dash her to pieces. I ordered the men to keep a 
steady stroke, not on any account to abandon the oars, or 
to bo alarmed at the noise of flood. The boat instantly 
took the first suction of the fall, encreased in velocity to a 
great d<>gree, passed through all the mazes of the channel 
till she came to the last descent, when tumbling, tost and 
regardless of her helm, she spun round and round, and 
at length shot ahead :'own the stream. Astonishing coun- 
try ! Here again the hills subsided, the force of nature 
smiled, the current diffused, and the river became a per- 
fect calm. On looking back to contemplate the danger I 
had just escaped, I could but faintly see the foaming 
surge, or hear the horrid clamour. I never experienced a 
more eventful moment than in the passage of that fall. 
Several times my steering-oar worked so hard as to pitch 
me nearly overboard, and at one bend of the channel I 
bore so hard to port that I touched a rock, from which all 
my exertion could but barely ware the boat's head. I 
learned from the danger I there experienced, that 1 wanted 
ajiother hand, whose office should be to stand at the head 
of the boat, and on approaching a rock, in the mazes of a 
fall, bear against it with a long pole and assist the helm 
when wearing round. I strongly recommend a fourth hand. 



m TRAVELS IN 

Many of the accidents which occur in the river are owing 
to the want of a sufficient number to navigate boats. I have 
bought this correction from experience. 

By seven o'clock in the evening, I reached a much wish- 
ed for place, a river called the little Muskingum, which 
I knew to be within six miles of Marietta. Having passed 
this small river which flows into the Ohio on the right 
Jiand side, and run down along an island, low, yet beauti- 
ful, called Durat's, and having reached Its foot in one hour, 
1 rowed hard across to the right, where I made fast under 
a high bank on which stood the flourishing town of Ma- 
rietta. 

Marietta is situated at the confluence of the G reat Mus- 
kingum, a fine navigable river, with the Ohio. The pror 
gress of this town and the adjacent settlements was, for 
several years much impeded by Indian wars; but the town 
now bids fair to become a, place of considerable import- 
,ance, to which it is well entitled -by the beauty of its situ- 
ation as well as to its being inhabited by New-England- 
ers, who, notwithstanding the contraction of their habits 
and principles, it must be allowed are a peaple„of uncom- 
mon industry and speculative enterprize. 

The inhabitants of Marietta are among the fii'st who 
have exported the prod,uce of the Ohio country, in vessels 
of their own building. The first attempt was made a few 
springs ago with a brig about eighty tons burden, bound 
for Jamaica, and commanded by an old an well know ma- 
riner, commonly called .^*, Commodore Whi])ple." The 
success which attended that voyage, has roHsed the spirit 
of enterprise among the wealthier class, so that there are 
now three vessels building, one of which is about two hun- 
dred aud twenty tons, and several have gone oti' loaded 
since the first brig. Besides an agent from the United 
States is now here contracting for the construction of seve- 
ral gun-boats to be completed by the ensuing spring. 

The town consisting of about one hundred and sixty 
houses, frame and brick of the neatest workmanship ; is 
seated on each side of the Muskingum, over which there is 
a ferry. The site is a very fine plain, running about a 
mile from the Ohio to a very high chain of mountains 
which continue for upwards of thirty miles into the back 
country. The extent of these mountaiiis, and the want of 
large tracts of good land in the immediate vicinity of the 



AMERICA, 12$ 

town m-ust retard the population of the neighbourhood, 
and in fact hinder the place from ever attaining to a great 
degree of magnitude. Nor is the country at the back of 
these mountains healthy ; several who retired behind these 
died of flux and fever, and several have returned sick and 
disgusted with the place, saying that it is all either moun- 
tain or swamp, till towards the sources of the Muskingum, 
where there is excellent land, but a climate too fatally un- 
healthy and the price of produce entirely too low. 

Marietta is also a port town, ibsuesa weekly paper, and 
possesses an academy, court-house, prison, and church. 
The latter edifice is the only one of the kind between this 
and PittsbuVg; a distance of one hundred and eighty-one 
miles. If justice be impotent on the opposite Virginian 
shore, and morals and laws be trampled upon and despis- 
ed, here they are strengthened by authority ; and upheld, 
respected, and supported by all ranks. The New- England 
regulations of church and magistracy are all introduced 
and acted on to the full extent — to a point bordering on 
an arbitrary exaction. Every family, having children or 
not, must pay a certain annual sum for the support of a 
public school : every person, whether religious or other- 
wise, must pay a fixed sum towards the maintainance of a 
minister of divine worship; and all persons must pay a 
rigid respect, and a decided observance to the moral and 
religious ordinances of the sabbath. In consequence never 
-was a town more orderly or quiet. No mobs, no lighting, 
no racing, no rough and tuinblbig, or any thing to be ob- 
served but industry, and a persevering application to imli' 
mdual views. The Virginians who at times visit the town, 
remain for a short period, and return to their own shores 
astonished at the municipal phenomena they witnessed, and 
wondering hov/ man could think of imposing on himself 
such restraints. 

As I before observed, the original settlers of this town 
and neighbourhood were New-Englanders, and many of 
them old continental officers, and officers who remained in 
the country after the Indian war. Some few of them still 
live; but in situations very different from their former 
ones. This leads a stranger into a variety of error and 
misconception. Yesterday I was speaking rather harshly 
to a man who had not fulfilled an agreement with me to 
caulk my boat, when a gentleman came up and accosted 



124 TRAVELS IN 

him with " Ah ! General, how do you ? I mean to dmc 
with you. What's your hour ?" I made use of this oppor- 
tunity to go on to the baker in pursuit of some biscuit. I 
found him at home^. On seeing the bread I began to com- 
ment on tiie price and quality, and might have betrayed 
some little dissatisfaction and incivility, hadnota third per- 
son entered opportunely to say, " Colonel I want a loaf 
of bread." My next call was on a butcher, whose sorry 
dirty looking meat made me neglectful of my late experi- 
ence and I raved without any consideration of propriety 
and decorum, till brought to a sense of misconduct, and 
absence of breeding by a negro, who, taking me aside, very 
kindly warned me that the butcher was a judge, and that 
he could fine folks for cursing and swearing. Hemmed iu 
€n every side, I resolved to mend my manners and gain 
6ome instruction on the subject. I consulted my landlord, 
■whom I found to be also a major in the late army. His 
lessons were short. *' We majors, colonels, and generals," 
said he, " are so cheap and common here, that people donb 
mind us no more than nothing. Do you follow their ex- 
ample : live without constraint, and get your business don» 
as though you were dealing with knaves, and the most 
common race of men. Our title signifies but little. For 
the most part it is used towards us from familiarity, deri- 
sion and contempt. Those who really respect us, say Tom, 
Dick, or whatever else we may be called.'' But the judge, 
said I, how is he to be treated ? " When in his character 
of butcher," said the major, " he is treated rough enough,, 
and without any ceremony ; but when in court, and some- 
times on Sundays, the citizens say, " Your honour," and 
touch their hat ! 

As I propose writing again from this place, I may now 
conclude, not without an apprehension that my letter has- 
already attained a tiresome and immoderate length,. 



AMERICA. 125' 



LETTER XIV. 



Marietta — a)i inundation — Fort Harmer^- Indian antiqui- 
ties — Be a lover of truth — the axiom of the Western 
world — Indian tradition — an anecdote — an excursion — 
the Muskingum river — a prospect — discovery of a vault — 
a beautiful tesselated pavement and other remarkable re- 
mains of Indian antiquity — large human skeleton and oth- 
er curious antiques — the depository of the remains of a 
chief in ancient times — the author's remarks on these rC' 
7nains of antiquity — predelection of the Indians for tail 
and robust chiefs — xvild turkeys, 

Ularielta, Juae, 1806. 

I MENTIONED in my last, that this town is built on 
a very high plain, inclined to the mountain, and that the 
part of the bank on which it more immediately stands, is 
near sixty feet above the surface of low water. I should 
have been satisfied that the situation was admirably calcu- 
lated for the comfort and health of the inhabitants, and 
would possibly have recommended it as the best site I had yet 
seen for a city, had I not perceived while at breakfast this 
morning, that the parlour in which I sat, was distinctly 
marked all round with a water-mark from seven to eight 
inches high. As 1 could by no means admit the idea of 
inundation, I could in no manner account for the appear- 
ance, and was compelled to seek information from others. 
1 give you the result of my inquiries. 

in the spring of 1805, the Ohio, and the Muskingum 
rose at the same time to a more than ordinary height. The 
111 St flowed in a volume so impetuous across the motith of 
the latter, that it entirely stopped its course, and forced a 
return of the water by the revolving instrument of a newly- 
created counter-current. The Ohio remaining for six weeks 
^s a strong wall and rampart against the mouth of the 
Muskingum, caused that river's waters at length to back 
and multiply to such a degree, that they overflowed its 
banks, and inundated e\ery plain to which it could gain 
access. This inundation being obstructed by the moun- 
tain in the rear of Marietta, was thrown towards the Ohio, 
L 2 



12.5 TRAVELS LN 

and taking Marietta in its course, did gi*eat injury to the 
town ; destroyed gardens and fences ; carried off several 
frame-houses not firmly attached to the ground, and swept 
away every loose object, and every living thing not endow- 
ed with the faculty of holding on, and of consulting the 
best means of self-preservation. The flood descending rap- 
idly into the Ohio, did her banks considerable injury; wore 
it into canals and gullies, and abridged the quay and prom- 
enade of the inhabitants. I consider this event as very 
alarming : its recurrence may, in some future period, with 
redoubled force, bear off the town and bank, " leaving not 
a wreck behind." 

Fort Harmer, erected by the Americans when subjugat- 
ing the Indians, is situated on the Muskingum, opposite to 
this town ; and the town itself has in its centre, the remains 
of an old Log-Guard, built at the same time, and for simi- 
lar purposes. 

Whoever delights in Indian antiquity, should explore 
this neighbourhood ; and give the world some minute and* 
historical sketches of the variety of its remains, said to con- 
sist of camps, forts, burial-grounds, &c. &c. As this must 
be a work of time connected with much perseverance, eru- 
dition, and interests it is entirely out of my province ; and 
I must leave it to those whose curiosity, leisure, and intel- 
ligence, may concur to induce them to make such inter- 
esting researches. Notwithstanding, I could not leave the 
place without taking a ramble to the spots where by tra- 
<lition, the monuments of Indian antiquity were said to 
abound : — the places pointed at, were the banks, hills, and 
head waters of the Muskingum. You may be surprized 
to find me put so much faith in tradition, which you may- 
conceive to be nothing more than fables founded on super- 
stition, and clothed in the garb of an obscure mystery, 
calculated to deceive and mislead the multitude, with the 
view of working on their passions ; and reducing them to 
an observance of certain rites, habits, and moral or reli- 
gious institutions. This definition may apply to the tradi- 
tions of the East-ern, but not to those of the Western world. 
Of the few axioms which compose the system of savage 
instruction, this is the principal, " Be a lover of Truths 
It is natural then to believe, that the traditions of a people 
so ini:»tructed shojjsd be grounded on a fact, and though 
that fact mi<;ht be disguised by emk^llisUiiicnt, aud strained- 



AMERICA. 127 

hf fancy, its immutability remains inviolate and continues 
forever the same. I am strengthened in these opinions, by- 
the following anecdote wjiich, also proves, that a geograplp- 
ical accuracy exists in tradition equal to the most histori- 
cal guide. 

A barrow of considerable extent and magnitude exists in 
a remote part of Virginia, and sevesal miles distant from 
any public road. That portion of the country was formerly 
the property of a nation ot- Indians, who, driven from their 
possessions, crossed the mountains, descended towards " the 
land of thesleeping sun,'' and finally pitched their tents in 
the plains of Indiana, where the Great Spirit was often 
known to dwell, and to interpose his strength in favour of 
the unhappy. 

After a lapse of eighty years of continued sufferings and 
adversity ; after the conclusion of the Indian war, car- 
ried on by the States, with the design to annihilate the 
Indian, name and power, a party of the descendants of this 
nation proceeded through Virginia with an interpreter, to 
Congress, in order to demand their rights, or to sue for a 
remuneration of those so unjustly violated, and torn from 
them. On coming into the latitude of the barrow of their 
ancestors, where were deposited " the bones of their fath- 
ers," they struck to it directly through the woods, without 
any instructions or enquiry ; and having staid about it 
some time, with expressions which were construed to be 
those of sorrow, they returned to the high road which they 
had purposely left for several miles, to pay this solemn and 
pious visit, and then pursued their journey. 

Can you now deny some degree of belief to Indian tra- 
dition ? Surely this anecdote is of the finest interest, and 
induces the mind, not only to belief, but to admiration ; 
and to every sentiment which distinguishes the moral and 
human part of the world. 

Having made arrangements for an absence of a fc\^ days, 
I provided myself with an excellent tinder-box, some bis- 
cuit and salt, (articles absolutely necessary to an explorer) 
and arming £!utf with a good axe and rifle, taking myself 
a fowlinsj-piece oft tried, and followed by a faithful dog, I 
crossed the ferry of the Muskingum, having learned that 
the left-hand side of that river was the most accessible, and 
the most abundant in the curiosities and other objects of 
my research. The Muskingum is two hundred and eighty 



fit» TRAVELS IN 

yards wide at its mouth, and two hundred yards at tlie 
lower Indian towns, one hundred and fifty miles upwards. 
It is navigable for small batteaux, to within one mile of a 
navigable part of Cayahoga River, which runs into Lake 
Eric. 

On travefsing the valley between Fort Harmer and the 
mountains, I determined to take the high grounds, and af- 
ter some difficulty ascended an eminence which commanded 
a view in one direction from off the river into the Ohio ; 
in another up the river a few miles and over a large tract 
of hilly back country ; and, nearly directly across the 
Muskingum could be seen Marietta ; her gardens, poplar 
trees, ship yards, public buildings, and her highly culti- 
vated plains ; extending in a narrow breadth along the 
Ohio many interesting miles. After a very short inspec- 
tion, and cursory examination, it was very evident that 
the spot on which I stood, had been occupied by the In- 
dians, either as a place of observation or a strong hold. 
The exact summit of the hill I found to be ariiiicial : it 
expressed an oval (agreeing with the natural form of the 
foundation) forty-five feet by twenty-three, and was com- 
posed apparently of earth and stone, though no stone of a 
similar character appeared near. The base of the oval wa^ 
girded by a wall in a state of too great decay to justify any 
calculation, and the whole was so covered with heavy timber, 
and a bed of such thick bars, that I despaired of gaining any 
farther knowledge, and would have instantlj' left the place, 
had I not been detained by Cuff, whom I saw occupied in en- 
deavouring to introduce a pole in a small opening between 
two flags near the root of a tree which grew on the crown 
of the oval or summit of the hill. He told me he was 
sure that he had found the burrow of a ground-hog, 
or rattle-sknakes nest, and as I had brought no provision 
but biscuit, it might be well to look out for supper in time. 
Though this fare was not of a very inviting nature, or 
consistent with my feelings and habits, I gratified the fel- 
low's whim, and assisted him to remove, first, all the leaves 
and rubbish, and next the large stones, utider which we 
expected to find a litter of wild pigs, or a nest of rattle- 
snakelings. 

The flags were too heavy to be removed by the mere 
power of hands. Two good oak poles were cut in lieu of 
leavers and crows. Clapping these into the orfice firsi 



AMERICA. 129 

discovered, we weighed a large flag stone, and on tilting it 
over, we each assumed a guard, and waited a few moments, 
in silent expectation of hearing the hissing of vermin, or 
the rustling of beasts. Nothing was heard. We resumed 
our labour, cast out a number of stones, leaves and earth ; 
and cleared a surface seven feet by five, which had been 
covered upwards of fifteen inches deep, with flat stones, 
principally, lying on each other with their edges pointing 
above the horizon. The surface we had cleared offered 
insuperable difficulties. It was a plain superficies com- 
posed of but three stones of such apparent magnitude, that 
Cuffbegan to think we should find under them neither snake 
nor wild hog. " If we look for supper under these stones," 
says my humble companion, *' the moon will shine on an 
empty stomach, and that is not lucky the first night of a 
voyage." Having once begun, I was not to be diverted 
from the task. Stimulated by obstruction, and animated 
by other views tlran hogs, snakes, and supper, I had made 
a couple of paddles of hickary shovels, and setting to work, 
undermined the surface ; and, after much toil and exer- 
tion, slid the stones off, and laid the space open to my view, 
I expected to find a cavern. In fact my imagination was 
warmed by a certain design, I thought I discovered. The 
manner the stones were placed led me to conceive the ex- 
istence of a vault filled with the riches of antiquity, or 
crowded with the treasures of the most ancient world. A 
bed of sand was all that appeared under the flags I cast 
off, and as I knew sand not to be nearer than the bed of 
the Muskingum, a design was again so manifest as to en- 
courage my proceeding, and the sand, which was about a 
foot deep, was soon removed. The design and labour of 
man was now unequivocal. The space out of which these 
materials were taken, left a hollow in an oblong square, 
lined with stone on the ends and sides ; and paved with 
square stones, on the apparent bottom or upper surface, 
exactly fitted together, in diameter about nine inches. I 
picked these up with the nicest care, and again came to a 
bed of sand, the removal of which left my vault, as it now 
evidently shewed itself, near three feet deep, presenting 
another bottom or surface compulsed of small square cut 
stones, fitted with such art, that 1 had much difficulty in 
discovering many of the places where they met. 1 hese 
displaced, I came to a substance, which, on the most crit- 



130 TRAVELS IK 

ical examination, l judged to be a mat or mats in a' state^^ 
of entire decomposition and decay. Reverence and care 
increased with tlie progress already made, I took up this 
impalpable powder with my. hands, and fanned off the 
remaining dust with my hat Great indeed was my re- 
compence for this industry ! Grand was the reward of my 
persevering labour and strengthened hopes ! There appear- 
ed before me ; there existed under my feet, a beautiful 
tassalated pavement of small coloured stones : the colours^' 
and stones arranged in such a manner as to express har- 
mony and shades, and to pourtray the full-length figure of 
a warrior, under whose feat a snake was exhibited in am- 
ple folds. To tread on a pavement of such exquisite beau- 
ty and workmanship, formed by hands centuries ago, and 
by the ancesto/s of a race of people now rejected and de- 
spised, could not be done without an awful emotion. 

Overcome by feelings I could neither combat or sup* 
press, I remained for sometime silent and inactive, and at 
length rose out of the vault to recover my usual energy 
and strength of mind. I had also spent the best part of 
the day ; evening was fast approaching, and I had formed 
no plan for the accommodation of the night. I resolved to 
remain where I was. A good fire being made, I sent Cuff 
with the rifle into the wood:s that is into apart which appear- 
ed likely to harbour wild turkeys, and directed him to steer 
for my fire on his return, and not to remain after the fall of 
night. Oveijoyedatthe prospect of hisexcursion, hehadnot 
left me two minutes before he commenced hisnotes. They at 
first appeared high and multitareous, or without any ulti- 
mate end, but before he had gone three hiindred yards, 
they subsided into the proper modulation of a parent tur- 
key, calling around her tender young. From this he ne- 
ver varied while he could be heard. 

Left to myself I felt more at liberty. Like a miser, T 
wished, uninterrupted to examine my treasure. J again 
descended into the vault, occupied with the desire of being 
able to separate the pavement in such a manner, and to im- 
print on every stone such marks as would enable me to 
put it together at any future period, and bring it home 
for the advantage and deTight of the curious world. 1 had 
made but very little progress before I discovered the im- 
practicability of my intention. No part of the pavement 
"wi» exactly of the tessalatc character except the space be- 



AMERICA. 131 

twccn the outlines of the figures and the sides and ends of 
the entire space. The body of the figures was comjiosed 
of dyed woods, bone, and (i variety of small bits of terre** 
ous and testacious substances, most of which crumbled in- 
to dust on being removed and exposed to the open air. — 
My regret and disappointment were very great, as I had 
flattered myself, that the whole was stone and susceptible 
of being taken up in high preservation. Little more than 
the actual pavement could be preserved ; it is composed 
of flat stones, one inch deep, two inches square, and the 
prevailing colours. are white, green, dark-blue, and pale 
spotted red: all of which are peculiar to the lakes, and 
not to be had nearer. They are evidently known and fill- 
ed with a precision which proves them to have been but 
from one common example. The whole was affixed in a 
thin layer of sand, which covered a large piece of beech 
bark in great decay, whose removal exposed what I was 
fully prepared to discover from all the previous indicati- 
ons, the remains of a human skeleton of uncommon mag- 
nitude, extended in a bark shell, which also contained, 
1st. An earthern urn, or rather pot of earthen ware, in 
which were several small broken bones and some white se- 
diment. The urn appears to be made of sand and flint vi- 
trified, rings like a rummer glass, holds about two gallons, 
h;as a top or cover of the same material, and re'^ists fire as 
-completely as iron or brass. 2. A stone hatchet, with a 
groove round the pole, by which it was lastened with a 
withe to the handle. 3. Twenty-four arrow-points, made 
of flint and bone, and lying in a position which betrayed 
iheir having belonged to a quiver. 4. A quantity of beads, 
round, oval and square ; coloured green, black, white, blue 
and yellow. 3. A conch shell, decomposed into a substance 
like chalk. This shell is fourteen inches long and twenty- 
three in circumference : larger than any other 1 have seen 
or heard of the kind. 6. Under a heap of dust, and tenu- 
ous shreds of feathered cloth and hair, a parcel of brass 
rings cut, by an art unknown to me, out of a solid peace 
of that metal, and in such a manner that the rings are sus- 
pended from each other, without the aid of solder or any 
other visible agency whatever. Each ring is three inches 
in diameter, and has an horizontal circumference half an 
inch wide, on both sides of which arc strongly etched, a 
variety of characters resembling Chinese, the decyphering 



132 TRAVELS IN 

of which my scanty erudition has no pretensions to reach 
Of the skeleton 1 have preserved a small part of the ver- 
tebral column ; a portion of the skull ; a part of the under 
jaw inclosing two grinders of great size ; the bones of the 
thighs and legs, and some melecarpi of the hands and feet. 
The ribs, clavicles, vetrebrag of the neck and spine, &c. were 
nearly an impalpable powder, or entirely consum. Judg- 
ing from comparison and analogy, the being to whom these 
remains belonged could not have been less than seven foot 
high. That he was a king, sachem or chief of a very re- 
mote period there can be no manner of doubt. The dis- 
tinction, ingenuity, labour, and care, with which he was 
buried, and the mausoleum constructed for him alone, on 
an eminence above the multitude, and its disregarded dead, 
proclaims this beyond dispute ; and, from the subjects 
found in the interments, the following (at least, and 
perhaps many more) useful conclusions may be drawn. 
1. The Indians of the most remote antiquity possessed the 
art of making potter's ware in a perfection unknown to the 
present times, in as much as their's is light, strong, trans- 
parent, and capable of enduring fires. 2. It docs not ap- 
pear that they were acquainted with the use of iron when 
they employed stone hatchets and, flint and bone arrow 
points. 3. That they had the science of impregnating 
stones, wood, and shells, with a variety of colours, is man- 
ifested from the pavement and beads and figures which 
have tints which we know they are by nature denied. 
4. That they had a communication with the sea though dis- 
tant from them two thousand miles, or that the sea was 
once more in their vicinity, is implied by the conch which 
contained a marine animal incapable of subsisting in any 
other than salt water. 5. The tenuous shreds of feather- 
ed cloth, worked on woven hair, aimounce some inter- 
course with South America, and a knowledge of its manu- 
facturs, as the feathers of the northern birds are not cal- 
culated for show, nor are any nations north of Mexico ac- 
quainted with their fabrication. 6\ That they knew the 
use and properties of brass is very clear, and that they 
could work it with skill, isequally evident. 7. Ifthechar- 
acters on the rings be in fact Chinese, or if they bear a 
strong and significant analogy to them, it again justifies a 
suspicion wliich formerly prevailed, that a communication 
early existed between Asia and America, since destroyed 



AMERICA. 133 

by some violent agitation of the earth at the Straits of 
Bearing, or by a reverse of climate which renders that pas- 
sage inaccessible, and too difficult and cold for the powers 
and tem])erament now accorded toman. 8, Ifthechar- 
^acters on the rings be original and unknown to any other 
of the nations of the earth, it must shew that the use of 
je4ters and the art of engraving were known to American 
itribes many ages since, and also prove that when we speak 
x)f America as a new country, on which science never shone, 
and in which social arts, agriculture and commerce, never 
flourished, we arrogate to ourselves more information than 
we are entitled to, and betray a presumption and ignorance 
for which we ought to blush. And 9« The remarkable 
size of the skeleton would signify that the Indians of every 
time were fond of associating in their chiefs, physical as 
well as mental endowments. That this king should unite 
a gigantic form to wisdom and intrepidity of heart appears 
to have been ever their favourite principle. Even the few 
scattered nations which still remain, and whose monarchs 
are elective, betray this passion in their choice, and pay 
much more deference to a prince of inordinate stature 
than to one of common magnitude. The present chief of 
•the Osage, a warlike nation inhabiting the borders of the 
Missouri, is full seven feet high, and everyway proportion- 
ate, a distinctive qualification w^ell known of various other 
American chiefs. It is true, at the same time, that the 
principal of the great Miami tribe, living near the waters 
of Antaria, is a poor diminutive creature called by his 
people the " LH(le Snake," but his instance is a very hon- 
.ourable exception to a vulgar and general predeliction. 
The " Little Snake," during the Indian war, was the first 
4n the council and second to none in the field. In pro- 
portion as he became terrible to his enemies, he was the 
pride and praise of his friends : the title of the '* Little 
Snake" (implying his wisdom and power to injure) was 
conferred upon him ; he was unanimously elected chief, 
and the world had to witness the fine sj)ectacle of several 
thousand Indians casting oflf their prejudices and doing 
iiomage to virtue and the endowments of the miuil. 

There is no doubt but that this monument and llie«« 
remains merit a more ample s]-)eculation than I have af- 
forded them. Perhaps my few remarks may suggest to 
you and othersidcas of a happier and more material nature. 



134 TRAVELS IN 

If they cause a brighter caruscation of genius to break 
from minds of stronger ca&t than mine, or if they pro- 
duce arguments and philosophy of ^ more judicious and 
less feeble character than themselves, formed as they were 
at the moment from the impulse of feelings, and the tyran- 
ny of circumstance, I shall be content, and in the place of 
imposing instruction, I shall be found solicitous to receive 
information. 

I returned the particular .objects nearly to their respec- 
tive situations, and Avith the assistance of CufF, who had but 
just returned, carried them in such a manner that they 
could not be injured by the weather or violated by other 
hands : it being my intention on my return down the river 
to secure them with care and take them into my boat. 

Cuff had succeeded so well that he had great hopes his 
residence among christians had not entirely obliterated his 
savage virtues. His imitative powers were still in such 
perfection that the wild turkeys acknowledged his voice, 
and the life of one of them paid for their credulity. He 
brought me a fine turkey of the last year, fat, and weigh- 
ing about sixteen pounds. As the night was well set in 
and the day had been laborious, no time was lost in pre- 
paring supper, that is in broiling a part of the turkey on 
some bright embers, and laying it on some green leaves 
before us, with some good biscuit and a bottle of water 
from an adjacent spring. I relished this primitive enter- 
tainment as well as any of the sumptuous banquets it has, 
at times, fallen to my lot to partake of in Europe. 

The wild turkey is excellent food, and has this remark- 
able property, that the fat is never ofl'ensive to the stomach. 
When Kentucky was first settled, it abounded with tur- 
keys to such a degree that the settlers said the light was 
often interrupted by them. Though this may be consid- 
ered a figure, still it is well known that they were extremely 
numerous, so much so that he was esteemed an indifferent 
sportsman who could not kill a dozen in a day. Even at 
this time they are sold in Lexington market for half a 
dollar a pair. They are, notwithstanding becoming very 
scarce, and, addicted as all classes of people in that state 
are to an intemperate predelection for destroying every 
living aboriginal creature, their total extinction must be 
near at hand. They yet abound in this Ohio State, and 
possibly will, for many years; till it becomes more peopled. 



AMERICA, 135 

t cannot pretend that wild turkeys differ in any striking 
manner from tlie domestic ones I have every where seen, 
except the length of their wings ; their superior plumage, 
their attitude and lively expression in walking. The cock 
too has a beard composed of about one hundred hairs 
which hangs in a streamer from under the hick. The hair 
is thicker than a pig's bristle, and the length accords with 
the age. In the young the beard is hardly perceptible, in 
the old it descends more than half a foot. I have killed a 
wild turkey cock which weighed thirty pounds and whosi3 
beard was ten inches long : the flesh was execrable, nearly 
as hard as iron, and as black as Jet. The young on the 
contrary arc white and tender, delicate meat, and of ex- 
quisite ilavour. 

Wild turkeys are gregarious. The flocks from fifty to 
sixty. They are migratory. They winter to tlio south- 
ward and return in the spring to the deepest recesses of the 
woods, where they construct their nests with such care and 
concealment, that few instances ever occur of the eggs or 
young being found. Where eggs have been obtained and 
hatched under a domestic turkey, the young shew great 
disposition to thrive and remain ubout the house very con- 
tentedly till their first spring*, when they rise, without indi- 
cating a previous talent for flying, into the air, take a few 
circles round the heads of their old friends and make for 
a wilderness whence they never more return. 

Having chatted with my Mandau associate for some time 
on this and other subjects, the hours were so much be- 
guiled, that It was full time to make some kind of shade 
under which to rest. This was done in a few moments : 
two forked poles were cut and driven in the ground six 
feet from each other. A third pole was cut and placed on 
three forks. Against this upper cross pole were laid bran- 
ches so matted with shrubs, that by lying to the leward 
no wind could be felt, and by making a bed of dry leaves 
of good depth, And keeping the feet towards the fire, no 
cold or inconvenience could be apprehended. For fear 
this preparatory business should expose you to too sleepy 
a visitation, and my letter to contempt, I close for the 
present. . 



3 3^^ TRAVELS IN 



LETTER XV. 



Indian Incantations and charms — priests — t/ieir extraordine- 
rii knoxvledge and gifts — interesting explanations of the 
cause — very remarkable antiquities — encounter icith a rat- 
tlesnake, which is killed — deer — xcild turkeys — LanesxeUe 
— -farther very reynote and grand anti-^uities — golden treor- 
Aure found — the bubble bursts, 

Marietta, June, 18O6. 

I PASSED the night near the mausoleum without any 
©ther interruption than what proceeded from the howl of 
hungry wolves exaspcratevl on seeing a fire kept from ihem 
victims they durst not approach. 1 also had to renew the 
fire, and tsutier Cuff to perform certain rites and incanta- 
tions, in the manner of his country, and which had the fa- 
culty of checkiiyg the advances of snakes. He expressed 
these ofHccs by stalking several times round our tent. His 
^gesticulation was strong, and his cries horrible. He also 
littered some barbarous words; described a circle on each 
round with the end ot a stick, and after shedding certain 
ieaves on the circle, lie conclud4?d with three more infer- 
nal yells ; and then under a decided impression or strong 
coiiviction of safety, cast himself near me on his berth. It 
would seem, that priestcraft, connected as it is in the nar- 
tive ministers of this country, with an affectation of sorceiy, 
and supernatural power, gains great dominion over eveiy 
savage mind, and disposes to the belief and practice of ev- 
ery absurdity. There are, therefore, no people more un- 
der the subjugation of superstition, or who exercise such a 
variety of charms and exorcisms, as the Indians ; in the 
wses and particular terms and applications of which they 
are instructed with the utmost precision, by their priests 
and physicians : those two professions being always united 
in one character. The priests, savage and untutored as 
they were, saw, at a very early periotl, that to establish 
their fame, and an ample sway over the public raind^ it 
-was necessary for them on every essential occasion, to ma- 
nifest infinite skill ; and to prove that they were the fiivour- 
ite children of the Great Spirit, by his having endowed 



AMERICA; 137 

them with a portion of his power, and given them permis- 
sion to display that power in public exhibitions of extra- 
ordinary miracles. Hence from the most early ages, have 
they been going about healing wounds, curing inveterate 
diseases, and giving occular demonstration of their domi- 
nion over all descriptions of envenomed and noxious rep- 
tile;?, by suffering them to twine round their bodies, and 
passing through their fingers and hair without inflicting on 
them any manner of injury. So complete is the tyranny 
they have established over rattle-snakes, and others armed 
with weapons equally deadly, that they lure them from 
their deepest retreats, and make them fly from or follow 
them by apparent command.* 

As this preternatural knowledge and powers are exhib- 
ited in the face of day before multitudes, the respect shewn 
to the priest, and the observance paid their instruction and 
precepts, ceases to be the object of surprize ; and the mind 
fastens on a true ground for ad nii ration and astonishment, 
and asks from what authority do the Indian priests derive 
the power of curing disease and of subjugating the most 
malignant creatures of the reptile world ? The question is 
very comprehensive, and, no doubt, sufficient to invite the 
investigation of the learned. For ?uy part, not having taste 
for elaborate discussion, or talent for metaphysical research, 
I um reduced to answer the question nearly in a word. 
*■ They derive their knowledge and their power from the 
great book of nature which a beneficient God^has laid open 
before them.'' On assuming the united offices of physici- 
an and priest, they soon became conscious that any attri- 
bute or reverence to be accorded to their character of 
priest, was to be drawn from the skill and acquirements 
they could display in their profession of physician. To 
obtain that skill and those acquirements they have to stu- 
dy nature, and that they do with the most unwearied as- 
siduity and application. Their own particular saying is-, 
** Nature produces nothing for nothing:'' implying that, 
whatever is, is for sonic particular end and purpose. This 
leads them to investigate the properties of things, the qua^ 
lities of plants, and the nature of simples, in order to make 
them subservient to their will, and applicable to their ex- 

* It is remarkable, tiiat iu E^iypt, ths sect cf Sadl possess similar 
poNvcr over suakcs. "' £uiroa, 

U 3 



138 TRAVELS TN 

jgeiicies. They were evidently conducted to these interfest^' 
ing inquiries, and to the useful knowledge resulting from' 
them, by observing, that tht;*-amimals of the forests and" 
fields, with whom they in a manner associated, on eating 
iiny noxious herb, had immediate recourse to a salutary 
one, which counteracted the poison of the other. They 
also observed, that many plants and herbs were purgative, 
others astringent. To these and many others, they per- 
ceived animals^ in a state of sickness drawn by a secret im- 
pulse, whilst those, in health past them by in disgust. Ani- 
mals bitten by venomous reptiles, and impregnated by the 
strongest vines, were seen to seek a peculiar plant to re- 
cover, their energy and strength ; and these reptiles in their 
turn, have been known to betray violent apprehension at 
the approach of a hog, and to shew such antipathy to cer- 
tain herbs, trees, and plants, as to suffer death sooner than 
avoid it by passing over them. Objects, too, have been 
discovered to which snakes in particular, have such passion 
and attachment, that they abandon their security, and face 
every danger to enjoy them. 

Armed with all this knowledge, the priests come before 
the world as persons inspired. Knowing that their science 
would have little eclat if known to have been acquired in 
the Melds, and from the animals in the forests and woods, 
they never di>nlay any part of it without wild cries and 
horrid gesticuj iiion. Hence, whenever they administer 
the simple applicable to the disorder, they express cabalis- 
tical ejaculations, shrieks and contortions, to impress on 
ihe patient's and public mind an idea that the care is to 
proceed from their mysterious proceedings, which alone 
gives operation and virtue to the remedies they administer. 
On healing sores with warm medicaments ; on curing a- 
gues in baths of hot vegetable steam ; on removing stiches, 
5pasm-, anrl pluracies by sodorific^, and the diarrhoea by 
astringents, Sec. tVc. they perform a multitude of rites, and 
as their patients for the most part recover, the whole is as- 
cribed to tlie charrn, and the people adopt the words, spells,, 
incantations, and exorcisms of the iniest;,', under every af- 
fliction and disease—whether proceediiig from an unknown 
ca'ise or from the bite of venomous animals. From their 
habits of life, Indians are often expo-ed to this last cala- 
inity, and U)" pii;.'sts, in consequence, have to instruct each 
'•viivilual to kmr^v the ai)tid'Jlo and. to give it cHicacy by 



AlilERICA. i3<) 

gesture and incantation. They also instmct the whole 
tribe in a manner of sleeping in the open air, and in' the 
titmost safety, though surroirnded by shake?, not one of 
"(vhich dare approa(?h them. The instruction consists in 
taking a stick and leaves from a certain tree; with the 
point of the stick describe a ring round the sleeping ground ; 
place on the ring tiie leaves, and on doing this perform cer- 
tain ceremonies. This process to be renewed at intervals 
of waking. This is all the knowledge they impart to the^ 
tribe, and this is highly efficacious and valuable; for, re- 
jecting the folly of the use ot words arid exorcism, merely 
given to conve^r a high notion of superior power, the an- 
tidotes and herbs pointed out are certain cures, and the 
simple action of drawing a line with a black ash stick, and 
strewing on the line some leaves of the same tree, is known 
to be entirely sufficient to hinder any snake from crossing 
the h'ne, and to deter him from interrupting any thing 
Avithin side of it. So great is their terror to this tim- 
ber that they are never know to inhabit where it grows ; 
and, if a branch of black ash be suddenly cast before a rat- 
tlesnake, apprehension and fear instantly sieze him ; his rat- 
tle ceases; his passion subsides ; and groveling, timid, yet, 
disquiet, he takes a large circuit to pass the branch, or 
more probably entirely retires. 

The renewal of the operation of describing the circle, 
and strewing the leaves, is evidently for fear the smell 
should be faded, or the leaves driven off by the wind. 

As to the familiarity subsisting between the priests and 
the snakes, the priiK:iplc of which they withold from the 
multitude, it is to be accounted for in a way no doubt- 
equally simple. They are as 1 observed acquainted with 
herbs and other substances, for which the snakes enter- 
tarin the most inordinate apprehension and antipathy,- or 
else the most decided attachment and attraction. Alter- 
nately armed with these, the priests make them fly from or 
approach them ; and when their hands aiul bodies >are 
Washed with a decoction of the black ash-leaves or trunk, 
the snakes will wreath about them in a kind of suffering 
and terror, but never attempt to bite. Making the snakes 
dance and move in a variety o( forms in a certain place, is- 
riothing more than what I have so often stated, either mark- 
ing or strewing the borders of the enclosure with the object 
for which they entertain the greatest antipathy, or, what rs 



HO TRAVELS IN 

more likely, the greatest terror and apprehension. I need 
hardly tell you that the stick and leaves employed by Cuff 
were of tbe black ash, which he purposely brought out of 
the low woods for our protection. His words, cries, and 
features, exactly accord to the instructions given his tribe; 
and to them alone he attributes any virtue: the stick and 
leaves being only as a wand, or necessary instrument in the 
great work. I asl^ed him whether he would not the next 
time merely describe the circle and strew the leaves, he 
answered, " he durst not, as the Great Spirit might be an- 
gry if he attempted to tAke from him the power and the 
praise." I saw it was in vain to make him think other- 
\vise, and deemed it almost a crime to shake such firm be- 
lief: I therefore hastened my departure, and left the mau- 
soleum by the first light of day. 

On quitting the spot, a variety of appearances confirmed 
my original opinion that it had been an advanced guard, 
picket post, or place of look-out. That the oval and 
rampart were not constructed for a barrow, or for an indi- 
vidual's monument in the first instance, is very certain-, as 
in either case, the skeletons or skeleton would have been 
deposited at the base, this being the practice of all Indian 
tribes. 

Apprehending that a camp and Indian settlement of an- 
tiquity could not be far distant, I took a north-westerly 
direction, leaving on my right the river, whose coursQ was 
K. E. by S. W. I had walked but one hour before I ar- 
rived at a place which bore strong indications of the object 
of my research. It was a small valley between two moun- 
tains, which suffered the waters of a clear creek to find a 
passage to the Muskingum. On exploring some time, I 
discovered the actual remains of a very ancient settlement. 
Ihey consisted, of, first, a wall or rampart of earth, of 
about nine feet perpendicular elevation, and thirty feet 
across the base. The rampart was of a semicircular form ; 
its diameter one hundred paces, bounded by the creek. 
On crossing the creek I found a similar rampart placed in 
such a position, that the work must have been a true circle 
intercepted by the stream. After a minute examination, I 
could perceive very visible remains of elevated stone abut- 
ments of bridges, which served to connect the two semi- 
circles in the centre, and at their divisions above and below 
the stream. Ihc timber growing on the rampart and with- 



AMERICA. I4t 

in Its circumference, is principally red oak of great age and 
magnitude, some of the trees in a state of decay, being not 
less than seven feet diameter. Second, higher up, and to 
where the creek runs in a very coUtracted channel, caused 
by the approach of the mountains, the sides and passage 
through which appear entirely inaccessible, are several 
mounds of earth, standing at equal distances from each, 
other, and forming three semi-circular streets, which cros- 
sed the creek, or perhaps, I may be better understood by 
saying, that sixty mounds, placed so as to describe por- 
tions of a very large circle, and expressing the ligure of a 
quadrant, lay at each side of the creek : and, as these two 
quadrants were also united together by two bridges, whose 
remains are distinct, when taken in one point of view, they 
should represent a semi-circle, whose base would be exactly 
above the camp. On each side of the mountain and par- 
allel with the mounds are two barrows nearly thirty feet 
long, twelve high and seventeen wide at the base. These 
barrows are composed principally of stone taken out of tbe^ 
creek — notwithstanding here is produced, timber of fine 
growth. 

The mounds hitherto discovered in America have been 
taken for tumuli^ or mausoleums of the distinguished dead 
—the barrows, for the common sepulchres of the multitude. 
The judgement on the latter subject is perfectly correct, 
that on the former I presume erroneous^ That the mounds 
in question are not tutiniH, there caU be no manner of 
question. Their order, number^ an<d arrangement are such, 
as entirely to preclade an idea of the kind. In all proba- 
bility they are the ruins of the houses of an Indian village, 
■which, having fallen in on desertion, earth, leaves,- and 
various substances drifted on them by the winds of ages,, 
filled up all inequalities, and gave them the conical figure 
they now possess. Their proximity to, and the protection 
afforded them by the circular fort, is another evidence of 
their having been the houses of a town, the dead of which 
were deposited in the adjacent barrows. 

Presuming it to have been a small town, I can con-* 
ceive nothing more safe or romantic than its site, Th© 
country behind it inaccessable ; high mountains on each 
side, and a beautiful stream, valley, and fortification, in 
front. It is more than probable that the post at which \ 
passed the night was the advanced guard of the camp— 



U2 TRAVELS IN 

that post could convey an alarm if any thing important 
occurred on the Ohio side. Encouraging thi? idea, and 
seeing a very commanding eminence about three miles 
higher up, and near the Muskingum, I directly made for 
it, and immediately discovered it to be nearly similar to 
the ground on which I had slept tbe night before. The 
appearances were too strong to admit of but one opinion, 
which was, that it was a place of look out, or beacon, 
communicating with the former one, and with the settle- 
ment I had just left. I took the pains of clearing the top 
of the eminence, which was more of an oblated circle than 
an oval, but I could not discover any stone or any mark 
which might lead^o a supposition of its being a barrow or 
place of interment. The country above was hilly, yet not 
so high as to intercept the view for a presumed distance 
of twenty miles. After a hasty repast, I proceeded to- 
ward that range, and encountered nothing remarkable, if 
I except the immense quantity of quails 1 met in the val- 
leys, thirteen of which 1 killed in three shots. I also saw 
for the tirst time this season, several rattle-snakes sunning 
themselves on the south side of stony banks. On hearing 
my dog bark as if at an object he durst^ not spring upon, 
and at the same time, hearing a quick and irritated rattle, 
I passed to the direction of the noise, and found the dog 
running at and from a rattle-snake, whose head stood erect 
about four feet from a coil of several folds, and whose tail, 
moving with rapid vibration, was disengaged from the coil 
to emit a warning or deadly sound. The dog refused to be 
called oti', and in proportion as he ba;ked and run in and 
off, the snake increased in agitation and fury — at times 
feiiinini:^ to strike, and at others casting off a wind of his 
coil, awaiting a grand opportunity of striking in reality. 
He emitted his crimson tongue with great velocity, his eyes 
glared fire, his head swelled to a violent degree, and his 
throat shone in great variety of beautiful and vivid colours. 
He had arrived at the acme of his choler : he was even 
poising himself with the determination to give the fatal 
blow, when, attachment to my dog, sinking all considerar 
lions of personal safety, I rushed on and dragged him off. 
^rhe poor Mandanean took the same eventful instant to 
strike the snake with a long stick he had prepare<l for the 
purpose. The first blow brought him down, but with un- 
impaired vigor, till he fastened on the stick, with the in- 



AMERICA. 143 

tention of wreaking on it the whole of his wrath and ven- 
geance. So much was he occupied by this determined 
spirit, and engaged on the stick, that Cuff, on giving him a 
.blow or two more, run in and struck his head otf with the 
axe. The last act produced a horrid effect, the body, pre- 
jjerving all the principles of life, described a sphere frorri 
the ground under which a man could pass ; it then assum- 
ed as many undulations as its length and volume would al- 
'low, and finally rolled along the earth till it cfime in con- 
tact with a tree, round which it once more coiled, and a- 
gainst which it beat its extremities with a violence that soon 
destroyed the power of action and resistance, and left the 
creature with unfolded involutions, exanimate round the 
root of the tree. The head remained attached so (irmly to 
the stick, as not to be shaken off, nor was I disposed to 
make many efforts for that purpose. Cuff was tempted ve- 
ry strongly to carry away a piece of the snake which he 
asserted to be most delicious meet, and ftir superior to the 
birds he carried in his bag. To this I could not listen, but 
directed him cautiously to separate the rattle from the bo- 
dy, and lay it carefully up. 1 also extended the whole 
animal, though he wa* far from being dead, and found his 
Jength to be, allowing for rattle and head, twelve feet ; 
and his circumference over the shoulders fifteen inches. 
The rattle was composed of eleven joints. The head was 
so inflated, and expressive of much horror and poisonous 
malignity, that I had not courage to give it any investiga- 
tion. 1 pursued my journey, and confess to you without 
any desire of meeting a Quixote adventure. On the con- 
trary I had to walk several hours before I could shake off 
>the influence of terror and the gloom of apprehension. 

Reaching, by four o'clock, a very fine spring, and being 
considerably weary, I halted, made a fire, and dressed a 
few quails on the embers. In size and flavor they resem- 
ble your English patridges ; but their habits and form 
rank them, under the species of quail. Without disturbing 
myself respecting their natural history, I made an excel- 
lent repast, and resumed my route much refreshed, and 
resolved by night to gain the top of the mountain, which 
I had previously pitched upon and observed in the morn- 
ing. Qn the way I was crossed by a very fine herd of 
deer, exactly like4he European, only sc inevvhat larger in 
size. They turned to gaze, and passed on a round trot till 



144 TRAVELS IN 

J fired a rifle shot, which bringing one of them clown, the 
rest went off with the speed of the wind, lior heeded Cuff, 
who assayed all their various plaints and cries to r«?tard 
and allure them. 

As evening approached, I was much pleased to come in 
view of a flock of" wild turkeys. I wished to have an op^ 
portunity of observing their action — the one afforded me 
was of the best it possibly could be : they were travelling 
before me-— therefore occasioned no loss of way. The flock 
consisted of about thirty-four, on the ground, searching 
for food : they were not considerably alarmed till I had 
approached them within sixty yards. They then moved 
on a kind of long hop and run, stopped, and as we gained 
on them proceeded in the same way. On a nearer ap- 
proach, they took short flights, rose above the trees, and 
lighted upon them at intermediate spaces of about thirty- 
rods. At every rest I instructed Cuff to gobble in their 
manner. This act appeared to attract their attention and 
retard their flight ; and, what was of more consLequence, 
they ipade responses, which guided our pursuit when they 
were obstructed from view by the thick ombrage of the 
woods, and the fast-approach of night. They finally went 
a more considerable distance ; and as I judged, to a fa- 
vorite place of roost. I still had the good fortune to keep 
in their track, and to come directly on the spot they had 
chosen for their rest. They rose up with much pertur- 
bation and noige, and again descended to rest. The wholo 
gang occupied four trees, and still they rose, fell, and act- 
ed with one accord. I resolved to fire on them. J had 
heard, that whenever ^vild turkeys settled to roost, there 
they remained in despite of all opposition. My motive in 
firing then was to ascertain the fact. On the first shot 
they all rose with great clamour about thirty yards above 
the summits of the trees, and as instaneously descended dir 
rect upon them. On firing again, similar circumstance^ 
occurred, and at a third discharge po variation succeeded, 
nor did they betray the least disposition to depart eflectu- 
ally and remove their quarters. ?-'y first disci. <trge was; 
with ball, which brought down a very fine bird, the two, 
last merely powder — but I regard the fact to be ascertain- 
ed as firmly as if I had kiUcd the whole flock. This dull 
propensity in these animals mvist ultiniately operate to their 
destruction. There is no manner of doubt but had such 



AMERICA. 145 

a ftock come within reach of a sportsman of the Virginia 
shore, he would have brought every one of them to the 
ground. 

We proceeded to Zaneville, where learning from the in- 
habitants, that the neighbourhood was surrounded by In- 
dian remains, and they offering their assistance, we agreed 
to proceed together, and make one grand scrutiny and 
systematic research. Enquiry soon instructed us in what 
direction to seek the most extensive ruins of the labors of 
former times. We found it to be five miles due west. 
The luins were magnificent in a high degree, and consist- 
ed of mounds, barrows, and ramparts, but of such variety 
4)fform, and covering so immense a track of ground, that 
it would take ten days to survey, still more to describe 
them. I made out an authority however to back an opin- 
ion I entertained, that the Indians, though they generally 
preferred a circular fort to all others, still built forts of a 
different construction, when confined by ground and other 
particular exigencies. In the present instance, it was ev- 
ident, that the whole ruins were situated in a plain of a 
triangular figure, formed by the intersection of one moun- 
tain with another. Towards the angle bounded by the 
junction of the mountains, were placed the mounds and 
^barrows, and in the front the ramparts, extended in the 
figure of a triangle, composed of two acute and one obtuse 
angle — the obtuse forming the centre and front of the 
plain. The exact length c^f the sides I could not ascer- 
tain, both from obstru/^tion and their extent. I made an 
.effort and advanced three hundred yards, but did not at all 
approach the conclusion of one side. Some swamps and 
a multitude of snakes prevented my proceeding. 

The principal object was, however, to ascertain the con- 
tents of the difierent objects. I give you my notes. First, 
a large barrow to the south was thrown open by making a 
ditch across it from east to west. Three teet below the 
surface was fine mould, ujidernealh which were huuill flat 
stones lying regularly on a strata of gravel brought from 
the mountain in the vicinity. This la-^t covered the re- 
jnains of a human skeleton, which fell into impalpable 
powder when touched and exposed to air. Towards the 
base of the barrow, we came to three tier more of sub- 
>stances placed in similar rotation and regularity^ And, 
N 



UO TRAVELS IN 

as the skeletons farmed two rows four tier deep, separated 
by little more than a flag stone between the feet ot one 
skeleton and the head of another, it s probable, that the 
cfltire barrow contained about two thousand skeletons, in 
a greater state of decay than any I ever yet examined. In 
this search a well carved stone-pipe, expressing a bear's 
head, and some arrow flint-points were found, together 
with some fragments of pottery of fine texture. Second, 
we perforated, and even perfectly laid open several mounds,: 
they contained nothing whatever remarkable, except some 
pieces of black substance representing mineral coal ;• but 
which, on a nearer inspection, appeared to have been 
wood, and to have retained every trace and character of 
timber but colour and weight ; the one being a deep black, 
and the other of three times the density of ebony or iron 
wood. When put into a. tire made by the people, it emit- 
ted much smoke, blue blaze, s'mell of sulphur, aiid very 
gradually consumed. Third, the rampart, though opened 
in three distinct places, aftbrded no variety. 1 he com- 
position "Was earth and stones lying in a manner that be- 
trayed same design in tlie original construction. The plain, 
and all the artificial objects upon its surface, grew some of 
the heaviest timber in the western. Taking this for data, 
the ruins may be deemed as ancient as any in the world. 

,Our views effected, and on our return from the mounds, 
through the angular fort, our attention was attracted by a 
small swell on a part of the ground which might have been 
nearly the centre of the tort. Some thought it a natural 
,\vave of the earth, and of this opinion 1 should have been, 
^ad 1 not perceived a remarkable singularity. Although 
more than thirty feet in diameter, it had on it neither 
shrub, tree, nor any thing but a multitude of pink and pur- 
ple flowers. We came to an opinion that it was artihcial, 
and as it differed in form and character from the mounds, 
we resolved to lay it open, though not before every person 
surmised its contents and properties. It was cast cpen to 
the level of the plain, without rewarding labor or curiosi- 
ty. Vexed at such ill success, 1 jumped from the bank 
among the hands, in order to take a spade and encou- 
rage them to dig somewhat deeper. At this instant the 
ground gave way and involved us all in earth and ruin ! 
you mny conceive what a cry issued from such an unex- 
pected tomb ! But it was soon followed by much mirth 



I 



and laughter. No person was hurt. Nor was the fall a^ 
bove three feet. 1 had great difhculty to prevail on any 
person to resume the labor — and had to explore the place 
myself, and sound it with a pole, before we could renew 
our pursuit. At length we removed the earth, and found 
that a parcel of timbers had given way, which covered the 
orifice of a square hole seven feet by four, and four deep — 
nearly under the centre of the swell or mound. That it 
was a sepulchre was unanimously agreed, till we 
found it in vaiir to look for bones or any substance similar 
to them in decomposition. At the depth of three feet, how- 
ever, we struck an object which would neither yield to the 
spade nor emit any sound ; on persevering still further, we 
found the obstruction, which was uniform through the pit, 
to proceed from rows of lar^e spherical bodies — at first ta- 
ken to be stones. Several of them were cast up to the 
surface: they were exactly alike : perfect globes, nine in- 
ches in diameter, and about twenty pounds weight. 'I'he- 
superricies of one, when cleaned and scraped with knives, 
appeared like a ball of base metal, so strongly impregna- 
ted with the dust of gold, that the baseness of the metal 
itself was isearly altogether obscured. The clamour was 
so great and the joy so exuberant, that no opinion but one 
was admitted, and no voice could be heard while the cry 
oi" "'tis gokl ! 'tis gold 1" resounded through the groves. 
Having determined on this important point, we formed a 
council respecting- the urstribution of the treasure, and 
each individual in the joy of his heart, declared publicly 
the use he proposed to make of the part allotted to his 
share. 'I'he Englishman concluded that he would return- 
to England, being carVain^/rom experience^ that there was 
no country like it. A German of our party said he would' 
never have quitted the Rhine, had he had money enough 
to rebuild his barn, which was blown down by a high 
wind, but that he would return to ihe very spot iVoni 
whence he came, and prove to hi*; nehgh hours that he loved 
his country as well as another, when he had the means of 
doing well. An Irishman swore damnation the duy longer 
he'd stay in America, but gave no motive for his determi- 
nation, and ray iMeztizo appeared to think that were he 
to purchase some be-iuls, rum, and blankets, and return to 
his own nation, he might become Sachem and keep the- 
finest Squaws of it. For my part, I saw in the trea-- 



us TRAVELS IN 

sure the ample means of visiting other climes, and my im* 
agination traversed South America, Africa, Asia, and the 
few parts of Europe 1 had not before explored. Such were 
our various views. The most remarkable trait they sug- 
gest, is, that though in America, and filled with all the 
dreams that have been related of its felicities and wealthy 
not one of the party had ever thought of remaining or of 
making it a perpetual residence ! 

Reserving but one globe of gold, or at least one ball of 
mixed gold, we carefully secured the remainder of the trea- 
sure and returned to Zaneville, famished and weary, yet 
elated, and after a hasty repast, we, with much ])iivacy 
and precaution subjected our gold to the ordeal ot fire, and 
atood around its operation in silence, and fearful to regard 
each other or to breathe. The dreadful element which was 
to confirm or consume our hopes soon began to exercise its • 
rarious powers. In a few moments the ball turned black; 
filled the room with sulphurous smoke, emitted S[)arks 
and intermittent flames, and burst into ten thousand 
pieces ! Stj great was the terror and suffocation, that alj 
rushe(> into the street and gazed on each other with a mix- 
frd expression of doubt and astonishment;. Tlv.^ German 
took advantage of the interval to ask ma to lend him a dol- 
lar, with which he walked away, without returning to ex- 
amine the gold. The smoke subsided, we were ena- 
bled to discover the elements of our treasure: they con- 
sisted of some very fine ashes and a great quantity of cin- , 
ders perforated through and through. The disappoint- I 
ment soon wore off; we laughed heartily at our visionary 
views, and resolved not to be deceived by a ball of splrite 
another time. A ball of spirite! It wixa nothing more. I 
understand the mountaii«s abound with it;, but how the 
Indians came to form it into «,pheres, ancf to preserve it in 
their camps, 1 remain entirely ignorant. They may have 
used them in religious rites, or in gymnastic exercises, for 
ouoht I know ; or, what is still more interesting, they 
might have made them instrumental to purposes of war. I 
shall, however, extend my enquiries on this subject, and 
with some small hopes of success, as I learn that Colonel 
Lu(llow of Cincinnati, has found balls of a similar compor- 
sition and structure, and perhaps under circumstances that 
may assist to illumine their history and use. 



AMERICAi l^» 



LETTER XVIi 



MUile Kcnhaumj River— Be/leprie — Bacchiis's hland—fine 
view of it — the house — its elegant and interesting inhabi- 
tants, a rural evening and sapper — Big Hockhocking liiv^ 
er — New Lancaster Town — its sudden rise ami as sudden 
decline by a contagious sickness — Dutch cupidity audits 
consequences — Bel 'ex die Town and Island — the Devir& 
Creek — Lctarf^ Falls — danger of passing them, especially, 
in the night — Campaign Creek — Point Fleasanty a hand- 
some little town^ 

Point Pleasant, Great Kenhaway River, July, 1806. 
THE morning after the golden vision I purchased a small 
canoe for t>vo dollars and descended the Muskingum tar 
Marietta without any accident or incident worth recording. 
On my arrival at Marietta, I perceived means to remove 
the relics 1 had the good fortune to discover on the first day' 
of my excursion, and, having got ihem and some necessa- 
ries into my boat, cast loose and turned once more into 
the current of the Ohio. 

In a run of ten miles I" passed no less than four islands,, 
and two miles more brought me up to the little Kenhaway 
river on the left side. The little Kenhaway is one hundred 
and fifty yards wide at its mmth. It yields a navigation, 
of ten miles only. Perhaps its northern branch called Ju- 
nkjs's Creek, which interlocks with the western branch of. 
the Monongahela, may one uay admit a shorter passage-- 
from the latter to the Ohio. Opposite to this river, is the 
town and settlement of Belleprie, three miles from which- 
is Bcicchus'., inland, 

Oh leaving Marietta a lady and gentleman, who had 
l)een on a visit there, desired a passage to the island. This 
re(]ueot was with much ])leasure gra4ited, and I had only to 
lament that the voyage was so short which was to termi- 
nate my acquaintance with persons so truly interesting and< 
a^miable. Iht3 island hove in sight to great advantage- 
from the middle of the river, fronvwhich point of view lit— 
lie more appeared than the simple decorations of nature;. 
tkees, shrubs and flowers of every perfume and kiad. T.U» 
N. 2 



150 TRAVELS IN 

next point of view, on running with the eurrent, on the- 
right hand side, varied to a scene of enchantment ; a lawn, 
in the form of a fan inverted, presented itself, the nut 
Jorining the centre and summit of the island, and the broad 
segment the borders of the water. The lawn contained one 
hundred acres of the best pasture, interspersed with flow- 
ering shrubs and clumps of trees, in a manner that con- 
veyed a strong convictioxi of the taste and judgment of the 
pjoprietor. 1 he house came into view at the instant I 
was signifying a wish that such a lawn had a mansion. It 
stands on the immediate summit of the island, whose as- 
cent is very gradual ; is snow white; three stories high, 
and furnished with wings which interlock the adjoining 
trees, confine the prospect, and intercept the .sight of 
barns, stables, and out offices, which are so often eutfered- 
to destroy the effect of the noblest views in EnglhtK^I 

The full front of the house being the signal for pulling 
in for the island, we did so immediately, and fell below a 
ftmall wharf that covered an eddy, and made the land- 
ing both easy and secure. There was no resisting the 
friendly importunity of my passengers :. no excuse would' 
be taken : to stop the night at least was insisted upon, and 
Avith H convincing expression that the desire flowed from 
hearts desirous not to be refused. There is somelaing so 
irresistible in invitvitions of such a nature that they can- 
not be denied. I gave instructions respecting my boat 
and giving the lady my arm we walked^ up the beautiful 
lawn,. through which a winding path led to the hcjuse. It 
was tea-time; that reireshment was served and conducted 
wiih i\ propi'iety afid elegance which I never witnessed out 
or Britain. The conversation was chasteand general, and 
t'he manners of the lady and gentleman were refiiunl with- 
out being frigid ; di.slinguished without beiug ostentaliou«=:5, 
and familiar wiihcut being vulg.'-r, importunate or absurd. 
Before the entire decline <»f day we walked in tne gardens 
which were elegantly laid out in your country's stile; pro- 
duced remarkably fine vegetables, aiul had a very favour- 
able siunv of standard peaches and other fruit. We next 
turned into the woods. 1 soon perceived why the island 
was nanu'<l Bacchus. It abounds with vines which grow> 
to great height and strength, but never produce to any 
jKTleciion. '!'he path v^e had takei> led to the water, the 
border oi' wliicii brought us to tl^e boat, wkcrcit becnib all 



AMERICA. tsi 

the servants of the family ha<} assembled to hear what news 
my people might have brought into their little world. We 
found them seated on the green around Mindeth, who, 
proud to be their historian, related rales of such peril and 
affright, that they gazed on him with sensations of wonder 
and astonishment^ or witli the soltened emotions of pity and 
complaint. The poor Mandanean, excluded by his colour 
and aspect from participating in the social pleasures of the 
whites, hiid built himselt a good fireyniade himself Uie sec- 
tion, of a tent, and was preparing his rod and line to catch 
some fibh for supper. I saw the laxly so pleased with this 
scene an<l so delighted, in particular with Cuff's truly ru- 
ral establishment, that 1 proposed supping on the shore, 
and by displaying a specimen of my evenings on the river, 
gave some idea of former times and the innocent enjoy- 
ments of primitive life. The night being perfectly fine and; 
the mooa out, and some light clouds hindering the dew 
from falling, my proposition was joyfully acceded to, and 
instructi^)ns were given accordingly. 

This determination gave life and interest to a scene, 
which before was calm and pleasing. All was action and 
bustle. The historian no more attended. Every one as- 
sumed an occupation, and Cuff' saw his fire and his tent 
surrounded by twenty willing assistants. The lady being 
engaged in instructing the servants and sending them to 
the house for a few necessary articles, I proposed to take 
the gentleman in my canoe across the current, and under 
the shade of the trees of the bank, with a lighted torch 
attract the fish to the surface and spear them while gazing 
at the blaze. We crossed over and met with the success 
of striking seven large cat and sun fishes in less than half 
an hour. .We relumed with the torch still burning, and 
the hands singing the " beauteous month of May," in ca- 
dence to the paddles which rose and struck with a precon- 
certed regularity. I'hismodeot the nocturnal fishingwasquile 
novel to the inhabitants of the little insulated world. The 
lady was charmed with it, and declared that the view of 
the canoe by turch-light across the water ; the conversa- 
tion obscurely heard ; the sudden bursts of exultation an- 
nouncing every success, and tlie cheerful return with mirth 
ami song, was an improvement of the finest sort to a scene 
before she deemed incapabteof augmentation ! After ohatt- 
iiiij s.ynie time oa subjects immediately rising outofoc- 



V3^ TR'AVFXS M 

earring incidents, and admiring the versatility of mind 
wiiich one tini3 rinds felicity in towns aiil midnight mas- 
cj^ierades, and at another acknovvlediies happiness on the 
contrasted theatre of the livers and wilderness, we sat down 
to t'Ur repa-t, and in a short time paid it the strong enco- 
luium oi" a sat i ted .. ppetite. 

Aiter uhich we reanned to the house, wh( re over »* 
bottle of wine oi»e hour longer we ccmversed en the plea- 
i-ures of our rural sports and retired to rest with that heart- 
felt ea-e and serenity which follows an innocent and well- 
spent day. 

Next morning after breakfast I with difficulty tore my-- 
self from this interesting family. You will excuse me 
for omiiting the names of the amiable couple. They, 
were emigrants of the first distinc'tion from Ireland. 

Two hours after leaving the island, I reached the lower 
settlement of Bv'ileprie, a rising place on the right hand 
side, three miles below which on the same side I passed - 
Little Hockhccking, Ntwbury settlement and Bar, Majs-- 
taphy island and Big Hockhocking river, near the mouth 
of which I brought up m order to make a lew obser\a-- 
tions and enquiries. 

The Big Hockhocking is eighty yards wide at its mouth, 
and yields navigation for loaded batteux to the j)ress-place, 
sixty miles above its mouth. At the h^ead of this naviga- 
tion stands New-Lancaster, a town tormed of about one 
hundred and fifty well built houses, and inhabited chiefly 
by Gerinans and Dutch from Old Lancaster in Pennsylva- 
nia, and the settlements in its vicinity. New-Lancaster 
seven jears ago was but emerging from the woods, where: 
the industrious people I have mentioned from the east,, 
were tempted by the reputation of the lands in its neigh- 
bourhood to settle in and around it, and to encourage all 
their fri nds to flock to the Ohio State, and follow the ex- 
ample they had set them, for the advancement of their 
comfort and promotion ©f their prosperity. You may 
judge with what eagerness the town and country were set- 
tled when you learn that one hundred and fifty britk, 
frame and log- houses were erected in less than seven years, 
and that land rose from one and two, to five, ten, fifteen, 
and even twenty dollars per acre. It has notwithstanding 
sustained a sad reverse Wjthin these two years. The last 
buinmer alone gave lauded imd other property. a fall oi oiiS-- 



AMERICA. 153 

hundred and fifty per cent. This violent depreciation is 
to be attributed to a general sickness which attacked the 
settlement and swept olf two thirds of the inhabitants, be- 
fore its progress was checked by the setting in of the frost. 
Very few of the first settlers now exist ! Seven years toil 
and labour concluded their reign, and in all probability 
seven more will extinguish the generation new rising ia 
their place ! What a gloomy prospect ! What a melan- 
choly reflection ! And from whence arose a change and 
calamity so unexpected and painful to a liberal mind ? 
• Avarice, and an inordinate craving after gold, form the 
well known characteristic of the Dutch* With them every 
considemtion dissolve* before views of acquirement, or 
prospects which hold out acquisitions of wealth. The first 
settlers of New Lancaster discovering lands to be of the 
first quality, bought up several thousand acres at a redu- 
ced price, erected a few buildings, and sent emissaries to 
their countrymen to tempt them into their speculations, and 
allow them lor certain advantages a participation of their 
views. Many came, and by acting in a similar efiicacious 
manner to sell their purchases and populate the place, a 
few years numbered from six to seven thousand inhabi- 
tants, composed of artisans^ shop-keepers, mechanics, and 
tarmers. The head of the navigation being the most pro- 
fitable place on which to erect a town, it was chosen for 
that purpose, and its being healthy or unhealthy made no 
part of the calculation, or entered into the consultations 
on the business. Those who settled on farms chose the 
vicinity of creeks and springs for their habitations, for if 
they chose high grounds, time would be lost in looking 
after water, " time is money," say the Dutch. Some in- 
termittent fevers, and a few hundred deaths in the first 
tiirec or four years began to spread suspicions, that all 
was not right ; that swampy spots were pernicious to life, 
that the money gleaned off them could ueither purchase 
happiness or maintain health. To build a new town, new 
houses and barns, and to clear new lands were changes and 
expences too heavy to be endured ; things remained till 
two successive summers teeming with disease, consumed 
the bulk of the inhabitants of the settlement, and com- 
pelled the few remaining ones to abandon tlieir avaricious 
intentions and learn ii^ future how to live. 



1.54 TRAVELS IN 

So entirely was health cast out of all consivlerafiorr af 
the time of erecting New Lancaster, that the m triers were 
not turned trom their intention though a swamp of great 
extent, and part of which immediately bounds the west of 
the town, lay directly before them and emitted an effluvia 
so noxious as could hardly be withstood. Nor did the^ 
jeflect that another swamp of a still worse nature, callec^ 
*' the muddy prairie," lay contiguous, and cast out of its 
bowels an air so mephilic, that persons Iwd to close their 
mouth and nose on crossing any part of it. Deer and 
other animals chaced into these swamps by hunters, sink 
after a lew struggles and never more appear. I lie swamps 
will never be drained. Their extent and character deiy 
human industry; the depth alone being much greater 
than any adjacent streams. The prevailing disorders tliey 
disseminate are, agues, fevers, and violent reachings. The 
latter complaint is nearly always latal ; and is accompa- 
nied by all the symptoms of yt-llow fever^ such as derdnge- 
ment, convulsions, and a general ctfusion of blood. 

Three miles below the Big ihockhocking^ on the Vir- 
ginia shore, 1 i)assed the town and settlement of Belleville,' 
and two miles lower down I enjoyed the sight of a beauti- 
ful island of the same name, irovered with trees, shurbs 
and ve-dui^e ; and after a run of ten miles further without 
impediment, I arrived at a very dangerous part of the riv- 
er, distinguished by the name of the Devil's Creek. In^ 
passing the creek, which issues fronvthe Virginia shore, I' 
found it necessary to keep close round the left hand point 
to avoid being thrown by the current on dangerous rocks' 
which lie in the bend nbovc and below the mouth of the 
creek, I succeeded well, but not without seeing the dan-* 
ger which required much exertion to shun. 

Having lost considerable time in my late excursions, I 
being seduced by the fineness of the evenings, and promi- 
sed lightness of the night, determined on not bringing too- 
till I should reach this place. I therefore continued on,> 
past Amberson's Island, Goose Island, and by midnight 
came up to two islands which 1 understood to be but half 
a mile above Letart's Falls, universally^ feared as one of 
the most terrific parts of the navigation of the river. The 
rearing of the falls had reached us sometime before We 
made the islands, and reflections of propriety, safety, &c. 
were making such progress on my mind, that 1 began to 
jrepent of my determination, and to feel a disposition not 



AMERICA* 155 

to proceed any further till morning. Prudence may arrive 
too late. The channel past the islands was close to the 
.right hand shore, yet I dared not put the boat's head to- 
wards it, the current being impetuous, and tlie shore full 
of trunks of trees, breakers, and Miags. Perceiving ob- 
structions which were at once ditficull and arduous to re- 
move, 1 made preparations to shoot the falls. The men 
received my instructions with a silence which augured some 
fear ; the wa-ters uttered. the most tremendous sounds, and 
the mist of their dashing rising into the air spread an ap- 
parent fog on their surface from side to side. The scene 
was awful ; there was no alternative, I took the helm 
and placing the hands on each bow with a pole to guard 
against rocks, followed the current to the second island, 
from thence to about one third of the river from the right 
hand shore, and there held it to the fahs. The boat took 
chute in the most capital manner, past through like the 
flight of a bird and never once turned round. In taking 
the chute, I observed a sunken rock to my right, that 
formed a very large ripple, and several others to my left, 
which caused the water to boil and make a grjimbling dull 
noise. Instantly on dropping from the falls, it was ne- 
cessary to take to the oars, to avoid an eddy of great 
power which si,icked in logs and every thing else within its 
attraction, and cast thera up about two hundred yards 
lower down. 

I arrived at Point Pleasant to breakfast, and found it a 
handsome little town, well situated on the confluence of 
the great Kenhaway with the Ohio, and commanding a 
very extensive view of the latter river. It contains about 
forty houses frame and log, and has not the aspect of ever 
being much augmented. Thejew disconsolate inhabitants 
who go up and down, or lie under trees, have a dejected 
appearance, and exhibit the ravage of disease in every 
feature, and the tremor of the ague in every step. Their 
motive for settling the town must have been to catch what 
they can from persons descending the river, and from peo- 
ple emigrating from the S. \V. parts of \'irginia, with a 
view of settling lower down the river, and who must make 
.Point Plevi^aut a {)lace of deposit and e'nbaikation. Were 
it not for the unhealthincss of the town, it would not be 
iiureasonabieto presume that this circumstance would ren- 
der it in time a place of considerable note. Point Plea- 
sant is two hundicfi ana seventy miles from Pittsburg. 



1S6 TIIAVELS IN 



LETTER XVII. 

Further particulars of the Great Kenhax^ay River — Lead 
mutes — attrocious masmcre of IndianSy thejumily of tkc 
celebrated Logan, Ute friend of the 'zchites — its conse^ 
qvences — the battle of Point Pleasant — the speech oj Lo- 
gan — Catalogue of Indian birds — Character oJ the muck' 
iiig bird and the Virginia nightingale. 

Mouth of the Great KcAhajvay, July, 1806. 

I FIND the Great Kenhaway to be a river of con- 
siderable character lor the fertility of its lands, and still 
more, as leading towards the head waters ot James's river, 
Keverlbeless it is doubtful whether its great and nume- 
rous rapids will admit a navigation, but at an expence to 
which it will require ages to render the inhabitants equal. 
The great obstacles begin at what are called the great tails, 
ninety miles above the mouth, below which are only five 
or si?c rapids, and there passable with some difiiculty, even 
at low water. From the falls to tiie mouth of Greenbrier 
River is one hundred miles, and iVom thence to the lead 
mines, one hundred and twenty. 

'I'he lead is found mixed, sometimes with earth, and 
sometimes with rock, which requires the force of gun- 
powder to open ; and is accompanied with a portion of 
silver, too small to be worth separation under any process 
hitherto attcjiipted. The proportion yielded is Irom tilty 
to eighty pounds of pure lead, from one hundred pounds 
of washed ore. 'J'he veins are at sometimes the most flat- 
tering, and others they disappear suddenly and totally. 
They enter the side of the hill and proceed horizontally. 
Two of them are wrought by the public, the more valua- 
Lle of which is one hundred yards under tlie hills. 'J he>c 
would employ about sixty labovirers lo advantage. T here 
are not, however, in general, moie than forty, an*l even 
these find tnne to cultivate their own corn. The veins 
have produced ^ixty tons of lead in a year ; the average 
i> from twiMity t ) tv»enty-five tons. The furnace is a nnle 
from the ore bank, and oa the opposite side of the river. 



AMERICA. - 1j7 

The ore is first conveyed ir, waggons to the Kcnhawa}-, a 
<listance only a quaricr of a mile, then laden' on board of 
canoes and carried across the river, which is there about 
two hur.dred yards wide ; and then again taken into wag- 
gons and carried to the furnace. From the iurnace the 
lead is tran;^ported one hundred and thirty miles along a 
good road, leading through the peaks of Qttie and Lynch's 
ferry, whence if is carried by water about the same dis- 
tance to Westhaui, where it (iiuls its way by Jajues River 
anfj the Fotownuic to the markets of the Eastern States. 
Very little of the lead ever descends the river in conse- 
quence of the falls just l>elow the mines, three of which 
have a perpendicular chute of four feet each. Three miles 
above the mines is a raj)id of three miles continuance. 
Yet the obstructions might be removed for so useful a na- 
vigation as to reduce very much the portage to James Ri- 
ver, and facilitate the descent to the Ohio, where the 
mouth is two hundred and eighty yards wide. 

The banks of the Great Kenhaway were once the fa- 
vourite resort and residence of several Indian tribes. The 
ruins of their little empires every where abound. The 
towns,from which they were banished, and the villages in 
which they were immolated at the shrine of insatiate ava- 
rice, ambition and pride, have yet remains which stand, 
and will for ever stand to perpetuate the memory of their 
sufferings and of our crimes. 

I visited several monuments of Indian antiquity up the 
river, and had I not so lately given you ample details on 
those I discovered on the Muskingum, I would describe 
them — and even under this impression would give them 
notice, but they do not sufficiently differ from what I 
mentioned, to admit of remarks, without a tiresome tau- 
tology and repetition. I cannot leave the river, however, 
without telling you an old story, which took its origin on 
this water, and to which I feel satisfied your sensibility 
will not be denied. 

In the spring of 1774, a robbery and murder were com- 
mitted on an inhabita.nt of the ironliers of Virginia, by 
two Indians of the Shawanee tribe. The neighbouring 
whites, according to their cus,tom, undertook to punish 
this outrage jn a summary way. Colonel Cresap, a man 
infamous ibr his numerous attrocities on this injured peo- 
ple, collected a party, and proceeded down the Kanha- 
O 



15S TRAVELS IN 

way in quest of Indians. Unfortunately a canoe of wo- 
men and children, with one man only, was seen coming 
from the opposite shore unarmed, and unsuspecting an 
hostile attack from the whites ; Cresap and his party con- 
cealed themselves on the bank of the river, and the mo- 
ment the canoe reached the shore, singled out their ob- 
jects, and at one fire killed every person in it. This hap- 
pened to be the family of Logan, who had long been dis- 
tinguished as a friend of the whites. This unworthy re- 
turn provoked his vengeance. He accordingly signalized 
himself in the war which ensued. In the autumn of the 
same year, a decisive battle was fought at the mouth of 
the Great Kenhaway (in history called the battle of Point 
Pleasant) between the collected forces of the Shawanees, 
Mingoes, and Delawares, and a detachment of the Vir- 
ginia militia. The Indians were defeated, and sued for 
peace. Logan, however, disdained to be seen among the 
suppliants. But, least the sincerity of a treaty should be 
distrusted, from wliich so distinguished a chief absented 
himself, he sent by a messenger the following speech to be 
delivered to Lord Dunmore : 

" I appeal to any white jnan to say, if ever he entered 
Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat ; it ever 
he came cold and naked, and he clothed him not. During 
the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan re- 
mained idle In his cabiu, an advocate for peace. Such 
was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed 
as they p^sed, and said, '•^ I.ogan is the Jriend of nhite 
men !" \ had even thought to have lived with you, but 
for the injuries of one man. Colonel Cresap, ihe last 
spring, in cold, blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the 
relations of Logan, not spaiing even my women and chil 
dren. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins o 
any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I 
have sought it ; I have killed many ; I have fully glutted 
my vengeance. For my country I rejoice at the beams of 
peace. But do not harbour a thought that mine is the 
joy of fear ! Logan never felt fear ! He will not turn 
on his heel to save his life ! Who is there to mourn for 
Logan ? Not one !" 

This atfecting story and speech nctually delivered before 
Lord Dunmore while governor of A'irginia, are contained 
in Mr. J e tiers oil's Notes ; the story as a preamble to the 



1 



AMERICA. 3 59 

speech, which is given as a specimen of Indian eloquence, 
and may vie with the most pathetic passages in the orations 
of Demosthenes or a Cicero. The few remains of Logan's 
tribe now live in a little village near the mouth of the 
Ohio. I shall certainly visit them on my way down. 

I have been much engaged during my rambles here, in 
ascertaining the number and character of the birds, winch 
are of great variety in this part, and of much brighter 
plumage than those I noticed at the head waters or in the 
Eastern States. 

Between ninet}' and an hundred American birds have 
been described by Catesby, some stationary, others mi- 
gratory, they are as follow : 

Birds of the North West Country. 

Popular Names. Linmean Designation. 

Tyrant. Field Martin Laniu Tyfannus 

Turkey Buzzard Vultur Aura 

Bald Eagle Falco Leucocephalus 

Sparrow Hawk Falco Sparrerius 

Pigeon Hawk Falco Columbarious 

Fork-tail Hawk Falco Furcatus 

Fishino; Hawk « • — — — - 



Little Owl ' Strix Asco 

Paroquet Psittacus Carolinensis 

Blue Jay Corvus Cristatus 

Baltimore Bird' Oriolus Baltimorus 

Bastard Baltimore Oriolus 'Spurius 

Purple Jackdaw Black Bird Gracula Guiscula 
Carolina Cuckow Cuculus Americanus 

White bill Wood-pecker Picus Principalis 
Larger red-crested Wood- Picus Pileatus 

pecker 
Red-headed Wood-pecker Picus Erythrocephalus 
Gold-winged Woodpecker Picus Auratus 
Red-bellied Wood-pecker Picus Carolinus 
Smallest spotted Wood- Picus Pubescens 

pecker 
Hairy Wood-pecker Picus Vilosus 

Yellow-bellied Wood-pecker Picus Varius 
Nuthath. Small Nuthath Sitta Europaea 



1 60 



•HIAVELS IN 



King Fisher 

Pine Creeper 

Humming Bird 

Wild Goose 

SufFel's head Duck 

Little brown Duck 

White face Zeal 

Blue winged Zeal 

Summer Duck 

Blue winged Shoveler 

Round crested Duck 

Pied-bill Dopchick 

Largest crested Heron 

Crested Bittern 

Blue Heron. Crano 

Small Bittern 

Little white Heron 

Brown Bittern. Indian Hen 

Wood Pelican 

White Cuilew 

Brown Curlew 

The Chattering Plover. Kel- 
dee 

Oyster Catcher 

Soree. Rail-bird 

Wild Turkey 

American Partridge. Quail 

Pheasant. Mountain Par- 
tridge. 

Ground Dove 

Pigeon of Passage. Wild 
Pigeon. 

Turtle Dove 

Lark. Sky- Lark 

Field Lark 

Red-winged Starling, or 
Marsh Black-bird 

Fieldfare. Robin Red-breast 

Fox coloured Thrush 

Mocking Bird 

Little Thrush 

Chatterer 



Alcedo Alcyoa 
Certhia Pinus 
Trochilus Colubris 
Anas Canadensis 
Anas Bucephala 
Anas Rustica 
Anas Discors 
Anas Discors 
Anas Sponsa 

Mergus Cucullatus 
Colymbus Podiceps 
Ardea Herodea 
Ardea Violacea 
Ardea Caewlea 
Ardea Vircescens 
Ardea iEquinoctialas 

Tantalus Soculator 
Tantalus Alber 
Tantalus Fuse us 
Charadrius Vociferus 

Hajmatophus Ostragulu* 
Rallus Virginianus 
Meleagris Gallopavo 
Tetras Virsianus 



Columba Passerina 
Columba Migratoria 

Columba Corolincnsis 
Alauda Alpestris 
Alauda Magna 



Turdus Migratorius 
Turd us Rufus 
Turdus Polygrottus 



Ampelis Garrulus 



i 



AMERICA. 



I6l 



Red Bird. Virginia Night- 
ingale 
Blue Cross- beak 
Snow Bird 
Rice Bird 
Painted Finch 
Blue Linnet 
Little Sparrow 
Cowp-en Bird 
Tow he Bird 
American Goldfinch 
Purple Finch 
Crested Fl> Catcher 
Summer Red Bird 
Red Start 
Cat Bird 

Black-cap Fly Catcher 
Little Brown do. 
Red-eyed do. 
Blue Bird 
Wren 

Yellow-breasted Chat' 
Crested Titmouse 
Finch Creeper 
Yellow Rump 
Hooded Titmouse 
Yellow-throated Creeper 
Yellow Titmouse 
American Swallow 
Purple Martin 
Goat Sucker. Great Bat 
Whip-poor-will 



Loxia Cardenalis 

Loxia Caerulea 
Emberiza Hyenalis 
Emberiza Oryzivora 
Emberiza Ceris 
Tarragra Cyanea 



Fringilla Erythrophthalraa 
Fringilla Tristis c 

Muscicapa Crinita 
JNJuscicapa Rubra 
JMuscicapa Ruticilta 
Muscicapa Caroliniensis 



Motacilla Sialis 
Motacilla Reguliis 
Motacilla Irochelus 
Parus Becoor 
Parus Americanus 
Parus Viro;inianus 



liirundo Pclargia 
Mirundo Purpurea 
Capri mulgus Europceus 
Do. Do. 



Besides these, there arc the follow ing, which do not 
exactly come under the heads of the above list. 



The Roys toTi Crow 
Crane 

House Swallow 
Ground Swallow 
Greatest Grey Eagle 
Smallest Turkey Buzzard, 
with a feathered head 
G2 



Corvus Corncx 
Ardea Canadensis 
Hirundo Rustica 
Hirundo Reparia 



162 TRAVELS IN 

Greatest Owl, or Night Hawk 

Wet Hawk, which feeds fly- 
ing. 

Raven 

Water Pelican of the Missis- 
sippi, whose pouch holds 
a peck 

Swan 

Loon 

Cormorant 

Duck and Mallard. Wid- 
geon, Sheidrach, or Can- 
vass back Duck 

Black-bird. Ballevot. Sprig 
Tail 

Dy-doppu, or Dopchick 

Spoon-billed Duck 

Water Witch 

Water Pheasant 

Maw Bird 

Blue Petre 

Water Wagtail 

Yellow-legged Snipe, 

Squatting Snipe 

Small Plover 

Whistling Plover 

Woodcock 

Red Bird, with black Head, Wings, and Tail. 

Brilliant plumage is the principal superiority which any 

of these birds can claim over those of Europe. Very few 

of thern are remarkable for their song. 1 know of but 

two that can be presumed to vie with British warblers ; 

the Mocking Bird and the Virginia Nightingale. On 

these I shall mt^ke a few remarks. 

The mocking bird is of the form, but larger than the 

thrush, and the colours are a mixture, black, white, and 

grey. What is said of the nightingale by its greatest ad- 
mirers, is what may with more propriety apply to this 

bird, who, in a natural state sings with very superior taste. 

Towards evening, I have heard one begin softly, reserving 

its breath to swell certain notes, which, l^y this means,. 

had a most astonishing effect, and which defies all verbal 

liescsiption. A gentleman residing in London bad one of 



AMERICA, 163 

these birds for sLx. years.. During th6 space of a minute, 
he was heard to imitate the wood-lark, chaffinch, black- 
bird, thrush, and sparrow. It was also said that he could 
bark like a dog, and imitate every domestic animal about 
the house. In this country, 1 have frequently known the 
mocking birds so engaged in their mimicry, that it was 
witli much difficulty I could ever obtain an opportunity of 
hearing their own natural note. Some go so tar as to say 
they have neither favorite note or imitations : this can be 
denied. Their few natural notes resemble those of the 
nightingale, and of infinite mellowness and strength. Their 
song has a greater volume and compass than the nightin- 
gale, and they have the faculty of varying all intermediate 
notes in a succession which is truly delightful. In a word, 
to make a comparison perfectly intelligible to an English 
ear ; the Virginia nightingale's powers may be compared 
to the astonishing bravuras of a Biltington, or a Braham ; 
those of the natural bird to the fascinating native melo- 
dies of a Moniitain or an Inclcdon, 



LETTER XVIII, 



Galliopolisy a French Settlement — Historical accovnt of its 
rise, progress and fall — its present miserable state, 

Galliopolis, State of Ohio, July 1806. 

THE distance from the mouth of the Great Kenhaway 
being but three miles, I dropt down to this place in about 
an hour. That time would not be required if the naviga- 
tien were not interrupted by an island immediately in the 
middle channel, and several rocks which make it necessa- 
ry to keep the Virginia shore till compelled to row hard 
across the river to gain the town. 

Galliopolis being a French town and settlement which 
has made considerable noise in the world, 1 feel myself 
under a more immediate obligation to give you a correct 
and historical account of its rise, progress, and fall. 

A land speculator who explored this western country a few 
years ago, tookplansof the site of Galliopolis; surveyed two 



164, tRAVELS IN 

hundred thousand surrounding acres, and submitted his la- 
bourson parchment, with all the embellishments of a drafts- 
man, and all the science of a topographer. The scite for a 
town was represented as onahigh plane of great extent and 
beauty, commanding views up, down, and across the river 
for several miles. Eminences were every where painted' 
out as eligible for the residence of the wealthy, and com- 
fortable secluded spots were marked fo.r the retreat of the 
more humble and indigent. Long extended and fer- 
tile tracts were noted as proper places for the exertion of 
the most decidedly active and industrious, and water- falls, 
cataracts and rapid streams descended and flowed for the 
benefit of mills, the promotion of commerce, and the diffu- 
sion of prosperity and happiness. When these advanta- 
ges were magnified by the high coloured machinery of 
hanging woods ; ever verdant meads interspersed with 
clumps of the flowering magnolia and odoriferous catal- 
pa, natural vineyards with purple clusters bending to the 
ground, and all the other interesting objects incident to 
sublime land!?cape, it may well be supposed that the gen- 
tleman's paper plans captivated the sanguine French, and 
formed an irresistible lure to this celestial paradise. His 
maps and surveys had marginal notes illustrative of its na- 
tural history, and the buffaloe, elk, deer, bear, birds, fish, 
and game of every description were stated to abound in 
such quantity, that for several years man could subsist 
without any other labour than the healthy and pleasant oc- 
cupations of hunting and fishing. 

Furnished with testimonies of so flattering a nature, and 
tvith credentials of the first authority to the most respecta- 
ble houses in Paris, he repaired to that capital, and met 
with all the hospitality and attention to which he was en- 
titled by his manners, intelligence, and introductions. Af- 
ter associating with the great some months, he gave pub- 
licity to his views ^ opened, by permission of Government, 
a regular land office; exhibited his plans and charts, and 
offered the lands they expressed for a French crown per 
acre. 

The troubles then existing in Franco were favourable to 

his intentions. Those who were compelled to stifle their 

resentment against the State, were rejoiced at an opportu- 

,iiity to abandon it, and the government at length tired 

with Ibe perpetual work of the guillotine, prefeireU to get- 



AMERICA. 155 

tid of the disaflfected by emigration, to the labour of com- 
pression in dungeons or the effusion ol" blood. 

Numerous emigrants were ready to repair to the ex- 
tolled territory. Of these a few ot the most opulent, libe- 
ral and enlightened, combined and purchased the specu- 
lator's whole right and title, and extinguished all his claim 
for one hundred thousand crowns, and of course assumed 
to themselves the disposition of the lands and the charge of 
settling them, but without any pecuniary advantage. A 
proceeding so honourable as this in the proprietors had the 
most auspicious effect : in a short time five hundred fami' 
lies previously well situated, embarked with the proprie- 
tors for the United States, crossed the mountains and de- 
scended the river to their new possessions ; to " the promis- 
ed land, flowing with milk and honey, and abounding with 
all the necessaries and luxuries of life.'* 

The lands were distributed among 'hem according to 
priority of purchase, and where it could with propriety, aC" 
cording to predeliction and choice. Some went to subju- 
gate the forests ; some to reside on the river's banks. Some 
went in pursuit of mill-seats, cataracts and falls, and oth- 
ers contented themselves to look for flowering meadows and 
arromatic groves. A considerable number remained to 
settle the town now called Galliopolis. 

Such a body of settlers soon efTected a change in the face 
of nature. A very neat town quickly rose on a delightful 
plain, and a number of comfortable little houses adorned 
the best situations along the river. Having brought with 
them implements of husbandry and seeds of all kinds of 
fruit and vegetables, from Europe, the Colony appeared to 
flourish to an unprecedented degree, and to extend its fame 
to the widest bounds. This unexampled character and 
success was the operation of two years. On the third, the 
settlers who retired to the back country, and who did not 
sutler death, came in and. reported that the meadows and 
good lands they went in seaixh of proved no more than 
swampy intervals between mountains, were man could not 
exist ; and that the mill-seats and water-falls were dry, 
except during the dissolution of the winter snows, which 
could only be calculated upon for the short period of a- 
bout three weeks in the year. 

The return of these disappointed speculators alarmed the 
infant town, and the river settlements spread aa apprehen* 



166 TRAVELS IN 

sion of the want of bread and general distress. Smart 
patches for the gardens and vistas to the water were all the 
cleared land in the colony, for hone had gone to thedrudge- 
ryof preparing ground, heavily timbered, for the purposes 
of raising corn or producing the other necessaries, which 
are the result only of toil and unremitting industiy. Un- 
fortunately, too, the settlers were for the most part artisans 
who had resided all their lives in Paris, Lyon^, and other 
great towns in France. To labour in gloomy woods, and 
clear for agriculture land crowded with trees several feet in 
diameter, was a taok incompiitible with their former habits 
and views. A contracted system of horticulture, was all 
they were equal to, and as such a mode could not provide 
for any supernumerary mouths, the discontented were re- 
solved to return home, and others to proceed to the East- 
ern States, sell their shares, and resume thei«r ancient pro- 
fessions. 

From the sale of the possessions, however, very little 
trouble arose. On the fourth year, at a time when affairs 
were progressing, and improvements going on with as much 
vigour as could be expected from ematiated mechanics and 
effeminate shop-keepers, a person arrived in the colony, 
claiming it as his own, and stating that' the man who sold' 
the property in France was an imposture. To a people 
alieady under suffering and disappointment, this was a 
dreadful blow, that could not be averted, and which involv- 
ed in its fall the ruin of their hopes and the labour and 
toil of the four previous years. The new claim was sanc- 
tioned by Congress, and a proposition was made to the 
F>ench to abandon their improvements, or to re-purchase 
a certain quantity of land adjoining to and including such 
improvements, at the rate of two dollars more per acre. 
Many spurned at this proposition, however fair, and left 
the country ili disgust, while others with large families re- 
luained, again purchased and persevered to give the setlle- 
menta rise, indispite of disappointment, im.position, cala- 
mity, and a host of evils and difficulties which required all 
the energies of human exertion to avoid and to remove. 

Such strength of mind and perseverance merited a suc- 
cessful fate, and no doubt would have terminated in a hap- 
py issue, but for ponds lying behind and near the town, 
which often infected the air, and predisposed to fever and 
ague even from the commencement of the settlement, but 



AMERICA. 1^7 

4Dn the fifth year they became so contagious that many 
died, and several became so seriously alarmed as to throw 
up their improvements and sell their titles for the little 
-they required for travelling expences to Philadelphia or 
New York, where they might follow handicraft trades, and 
procure bread with more ease and security. Those who 
remained were principally the infirm and the young chil- 
dren : few improvements went on, the place continued 
rapidly to decline, and is now, at the period of my writing, 
in a fair way of being restored to nature, and of returning 
to the gloom, of its primitive woods. Several houses are 
tumbling in : several are shut up; others are burnt down, 
and the few that are occupied do not strike the mind with 
an impression that they have long to last. The total 
number of habitable houses is reduced to nine, about seven 
more are occupied in the original purchase. Thus I ac- 
count for sixteen families out of five huwdred who came 
into the country a few years before, big with. expectations 
of felicity, and dreaming of nothing less than perpetual 
comfort and continual happiness. The sixteen families 
which persist in remaining are of those who purchased a 
second time. They vainly imagine to make something of 
their improvements and await the operation of the ponds 
"wfth more fortitude and determination than judgment and 
good sense. They are a most wretched looking people : 
the worst hospital in Europe could not turn out an equal 
number so capable of proving the great degree of humili- 
ation that human nature is capable of e>xpressing, when 
under the hands of neglect, disease, and indigence. So 
wretchedly poor is the place, that a barrel of flour is not 
to be had in the whole settlement, and in place of their 
being able to purchase some Indian meal, I have had ap- 
plications to know whether I had any to exchange for fruit 
and small produce. 

They cultivate, as I have observed, little more than fruit 
and vegetables, and they depend on the exchange of these 
for bread and other necessaries to be had of boats de- 
scending the river. The peaches thrive and multiply so 
well, that one of the old settlers has procured a still, and 
makes a brandy which, at a tolerable age, is of a very fine 
quality. He now contracts for all the peaches of the set- 
tlement ; makes about four hundred gallons of peach- 
brandy each season, which he barters tor flour, corn, 6tc, 



16s TRAVELS IN 

at the rate of one dollar per gallon for the liquor, and 
then sells out his flour, &c. for chickens, young hogs, and 
garden produce, with which he supplies at a cheap rate, 
boats who may stand in need of such things on their pas- 
sage down the river. I am very much of opinion that 
were it not for theprospect of bringing the peach-brandy 
trade into success and a profitable notoriety, CiiilJiopolis 
town and settlement would be entirely abandoned. 

Never was a place choben,or rather approved of with less 
judgment. In the rear of the buildings are a number of 
pestiferious pon<is ; the bac-k country is composed of a 
series of barren ridges and internal lands of dancerous 
swamp ; and the access to the town both by land and \va- 
terj is so extremely difticult, that mere matter of choice 
will never conduct to it a visitor, trader, or resident. I 
am given to understand notwithstanding that some New 
Englanders have made purchases from the fugitive French 
at very reduced prices, and intend occupying the farms 
they deserted. If they put this intention into execution, 
the settlement may again take an artificial rise, though it 
is difficult to conceive how the public can a second lime 
be deceived in respect to a spot whose climate and proper- 
ties have been so much condemned and exposed. 

I am very happy to have authority to account for seventy 
more of the families who arrived from France, and which 
seventy were of those who left Galliopolis in disguise on 
the springing up of the new proprietor, who required them 
to make a new j)urchase or to quit the premises. Congress, 
much to its honou?, made their case a national one, and 
has granted llrem lands lower down the river in lieu of 
those they had to abandon in this place. They report to 
their friends that their new grounds are excellent, but that 
sickness and excess of unaccustomed labour keeps thinning 
tliem by no very insensible degrees. 



i 



AMERICA. m 



LETTER XVIir. 



Vo'-ious rkrrs and creeks — saw-n/ills — -ajine salf-spri?}g and 
an Indian pottery — Great Sandy Creek — cent rol situation 
ef its mouth — erroneous accounts of Kentucky correct- 
,(d — extravagant price of lands — an excursion — vestiges 
'ff the remains of a Chief of uncommon size — game — wild 
hogs — remains of an Indian village — an alarm — explained 
-r—toolves hunting their prey. 

Mouth of Great Sandy River, July, 1806. 
I LEFT Galliopolis with all the sensibility which the 
fate of its poor inhabitants could inspire. 

In my run to this place I passed a very beautiful island, 
several creeks, and the mouths of the Little and Big Gui- 
andot. The latter river is sixty yards wide at its entrance 
into the Ohio; is very rapid and may be navigated seventy 
miles up. They both are on the Virginia shore, as well as 
Great Sandy river, which is between seventy and eighty 
yards wide at its mouth, and navigable for loaded batleaux 
sixty miles, till it reaches falls were saw mills are erected, 
and which furnish the best cherry-plank of America, in 
the greatest abundance. A few miles above the saw-mills 
a very fine salt-spring has been discovered in the moun- 
tains, whose waters are so strong that it is said one hund- 
red gallons could yield one bushel of salt. This spring 
would in all probability, have remained forever in oblivion, 
had it not been for the incidental circumstance^of a hunter 
stumbling over a piece of earthen ware sticking in the 
ground of its vicinity. The piece evincing the remains 
of an Indian salt-pan, the hunter examined the nearest 
spring, and found it to be of the quality I have just descri- 
bed. It has been since explored, and an ancient furnace, 
and many pieces of antique pottery have been brought to 
light. The spring is not worked. The proprietor of the 
land being unknown — and the distance to ihe market con- 
siderable. 

The discovery of earthen salt-pans strengthen the opin- 
ion I before entertained, that the Indians possessed the art 
of making potter's ware i-u a higher perfection rhaii is at- 
P 



170 TRAVELS IN 

tempted at the present day. They not only manufactured 
it to resist fire in ordinary culinary purposes, but to make 
it endure the violence of a furnace ; a perpetual ebullition, 
and the corrosion of mineral salts. 

The head waters of this river proceed from the immense 
chain of the Appilachean mountains, the fountains from 
the opposite side of which supply rivers that fall into the 
Mexican and Atlantic oceans. These head waters being 
guarded by a country nearly inaccessible and terrific to 
,man, is now the uncontroverted domain of wolves, bears, 
&:c. Bears especially inhabit the head of this river in such 
numbers, that their skins can be had by contract for one 
dollar each. 

Great Sandy is also remarkable for being the boundary 
v'here Virginia subsides and Kentucky commences. This 
commencement i* exactly three hundred and thirty-four 
miles from Pittsburg, seven jiundred and sixty-two from 
the Mississipi, and one hundred and ten from Lexington, 
the principal town of the Kentucky state. 

From the point of land below the mouth of Great Sandy, 
the view is vcr^ extensive. Looking across the Ohio, 
which is first seen to a considerable distance up and down, 
the rich and fertiJe state of Ohio reaches to the north 
hundreds of miles. To the right, Virginia runs to the 
Alleghany's base, where it is separated from the eastern 
American world. To the left lies the state of Kentucky. 

This point of land is eminently situated for a trading 
town. That denomination is already given to a few 
wretched huts occupied occasionally by hunters and a few 
stragglers, undetermined as to their final establishment. 

The authors who have given descriptions of Kentucky, 
tit^ier never saw that State, or only would see a small por- 
tion of highly beautiful land which it contains in its centre, 
sixty miles long by about thirty miles broad. Of that 
singularly fertile, romantic, and delightful spot, enough, 
perhaps, ha* not been said ; but of all the remainder of 
tin? State, whatever has been wrote or uttered in its favour, 
must have proceeded from a dangerous ignorance of facts, 
or a determination to delude and deceive both individuals 
and the public. I beg of you to judge from this simple 
survey. 

From this place to Lexington, which is one hundred and 
tx*n miles, the road is marked on the ridges of mountains 



AMERICA. ifi 

to within ftfteen miles of that city. From that city again 
to Limestone, and to Cincinnati, on the Ohio, a distance 
to each of seventy miles, the roads, wnth the exception of a 
few miles, are no more than butlalo tracts. From the 
Commencement of Kentucky at Great Sandy, the body of 
eastern land is entirely mountainous for one hundred square 
miles. West it is a chain of mountains for an extent of 
four hundred miles long by fifty broad, on average from, 
the Ohio bank; and the south-side is principally composed 
of "the Barrens/' and the " Great Barren,'' terms which 
denote a country so sterile and inhospitable, that neither 
man nor beast can reside there for want of water. So 
mountainous is the river shore on the Kentucky side, that 
in the distance of five hundred miles, there is not space ibr 
the erection of a town of any extent except on the very 
plain from vvhich I now write, and in consequence of therfe 
beinor no road along the left bank, travellers are compelled 
to proceed on the shore of the Ohio State. 

After these facts, which no person can deny or contro- 
vert, we are left to deplore, thatthe public should so long> 
have been abused by the dreams of enthusiasts, and the 
falsehoods of knaves. Several thousands have sacrificed 
their wealth and prospecis in repairing to this " Land of 
Promise/' and to which their attention was led by flowery 
and enchanting fables. Several of these deluded persons, 
finding on their arrival in the State, that all the good land- 
was occupied, or else bore a price entirely beyond their 
means, had to remain in small interval specks among the. 
mountains, or to purchase portions of the Great Barrens 
for one shilling per acre, and catch water as they could from 
the dropping and distended clouds. Others who have 
come into the State and determined on settling on gopd 
lands and a somewhat comfortable neighbourhood, have 
been often obliged to sink their whole capital in the pur- 
chase of a small farm, the produce of which, from the 
mediocrity of its price at market, could never return the 
capital, or enable them to do any more than drag on a 
miserable existence. The price of the lands on the State, 
taking Lexington for a meridian, are as follows : town lots 
in Lexington in the market street, and other popular situ- 
ations, bear as high a price as any lot in the city of London. 
Land immediately round the town is four hundred dollars 
per acre ; within one mile two hundred ; within trwo oi* 



•m TRAVELS IN 

three miles one hundred; five or six miles, from sixty to 
seventy. A few miles more distant, the price falls to trom. 
forty to fifty dollars per acre, and decreases progressively 
to from thirty to twenty, fifteen, ten and five, at which 
price it breaks off at the mountains, where the land bears 
]io price at all. There are circumstances also, which often 
contribute to set a local enhanced value on landed proper- 
ty. The most fertile part ol Kentucky, the very spot yet 
allowed to be an Eden, is very scarce of water. Land, 
therefore, which possesses a mill seat capable of acting 
three months in a year, would fetch a very large sum of 
money. Salt-springs also, considerably raise the price of 
land surrounding them. 

• River bottoms and good places for landing, from JheiF 
.scarcity, situation, and superior excellence, have also a 
higher price attached to them than any other parts not 
Kinder the same circumstances. 

Mr. Gardner, a sensible and civil man, who here keeps 
a tavern, having explored- his neighbourhood in a consid- 
erable degree, I tempted him to take an excursion with me. 
We bet off by dawn to observe the rising sun from a very 
high hill, about a mile to the souih of the point. The 
eminence was gained in time to enjoy the finest spectacle 
in nature. 

On the particular spot where I was, I might have re- 
mained a long time before 1 could perceive the various 
olfects of the sun on mountains, woods, valleys, and waters. 
The hei|;iit was so great, that I calculated the rays of the 
sun could not strike the surface of the floods till they dart* 
ed from the sun's rise of four hours. 

Particular views of the river were various and beautiful 
from where I stood, though interrupted every mile by tbe 
binuosities occasioned by its many windings. 1 lound the 
lime very favourable to form a judgment on the nature of 
the surrounding country. The sun shining only on the 
summits of hills, displayed their situation, course, and va- 
riety, while the dark intervals pointed out the few valleys 
and plains which lay commixed between them. The re- 
marks 1 took accorded precisely w ith the observations I 
have made respecting the mountainous State of the coun- 
try. Nor could I see any part of sufficient extent for -a 
day's excursion, with any tolerable degree of possibility 
©r ease, unless a strip of wood land which formed the Qiii« 



AMERICA. it» 

bank, and met with but little obstruction for several miles? 
I resolved to bend that way, and was about to departj 
when Mr. Gardner informed me that on his first coming 
to the Kenhaway he discovered an Indian grave on the 
summit of which we stood. He pointed it out tome im- 
mediately on the direct summit, but 1 had the mortifica- 
tion to. perceive that it had undergone so rude a violation, 
that I could distinguish nothing of its original form or 
character, or any remains save two or three bones, which, 
judging by analogy, evinced a man far exceeding ordinary 
stature. Mr. G. could give me no satisfactory account, 
either in regard to the contents of the grave, or to the 
position and appearances of the members of which it wa» 
composed: he did not even know the bearings of the head 
and feet, in short, I understood that the violation was com- 
mitted by a Kentuckyan, in quest of plunder, and that 
Mr. G. did not see the ruin till the deed was done. The 
instant I understood a Kentuckyan was concerned, I gave 
up every enquiry, and contented myself with this other 
recent evidence, that there formerly existed Indian nations 
who buried their chiefs on the highest mountain tops, and 
distant from the living and the dead. Perhaps, too, such 
nations were worshippers of the sun, and by way of con- 
tinuing to their prmces the proud pre-eminence they al- 
lowed them in life, exposed their tombs to the first and 
last rays of their high and mighty luminary* This idea 
appears better grounded than on m<?re presumption : at 
present, however, i cannot back it by any testimony, and 
the fact is against me, that no Indian tribes cast of the Mis- 
sissippi, have ever in their worship or tradition, held out aa 
evidence that their ancestors at any time worshipped the 
sun, or that they considered their tribes ever to have been 
the descendants of that all powertul body. Tlie subject 
must remain for elucidation, till the discovery of other 
data and events. 

We proceeded down the hill,and along the strip of a level 
\90ody bank I traced for our excursion from the summrt. 
We met with excellent sport. Several flocks of wild tur- 
keys crossed us from the mountains to the water side, wc 
killed two fine young birds, and could have killed forty had 
we been disposed to enter on the commission ol unnecessa- 
ry carnage. We also fell in with a great number ot quails, 
remarkable for their size; and so fat and heavy, that they 
V2 



J 74 TRAVELS IN 

never attempted flight, bat ran and hid themselves SLmong 
dry leaves and grass, to a very considerable distance from 
where we at first started them. Independent oi what we. 
killed, my dog ran down and caught several, two of which 
being perfectly white, were to me a great curiosity. The 
quails of this country are very tractable, soon domesticat- 
ed, and easily kept to be killed for family use. 

Our notice was frequently attracted by a number of 
hogs ranging in a wild state. They multiply to a great de- 
gree notwithbtanding that the wolves have no objection to 
their flesh, and that panthers consider them as their nicest 
diet. In this natural slate they attain considerable courage 
and ferocity, to which, perhaps, their multiplication and 
safety may be attributed. The sows we met with were sav- 
age to such a degree that they firmly stood between us and 
their young, till the latter scampered ofi' and concealed 
theu>hi.elves with a skill which baffled the minutest search. 
When a Utter is discovered and attacked by a panther, the 
old so\y stands all the brunt, and maintains a fight of sufii- 
cient duration to allow the young to disperse, though often 
at the expense of her own life. Hogs attract so many wild 
beasts about a house, that Mr. G. has given over keeping 
any in a domestic way. When he lays up his winter pro- 
vision, he selects hogs from the woods, and considers their 
flesh much more delicate than that of home fed pork. Their 
food in the woods consists generally of acorns, nuts, ber- 
ries, ami roots, and occasionally on vermin, reptiles, and 
snakes, of which last they are extravagantly fond. 

Coming to a fine creek which descended from the moun- 
}=ains, we halted, and made preparations to forward an ex- 
cellent dinner, and repose during the violent heat of the 
the day. We started again before six, and continued walk- 
ing through a country interrupted with gullies, ridges, and 
creeksj till near ten, when we made fires, erected tents, and 
formed our establishment for the night. The place we had 
chosen was the scite ot an old Indian village, as was mani- 
fest from the number of mounds and other remains of an- 
cient works extant around us. I turned to rest under my 
small shed and near a good fire, full of the vague ideas, and 
wide and wandering notions which the place, situation, and 
circumstances irresistibly inspired. 1 slept in the midst of 
mounds, whichsome thousands of years before were inhabit- 
ed by men whose name and history were no longer on the 



AMERICA. 175- 

face of the earth, and whose line and offspring I vainly 
•sought for among existing nations. Overcome at length by 
toil, and weary of fruitless conjectures, I fell into the sound- 
est sleep, and might have remained for hours in that obli- 
vion, had I not been startled up by cries such as we are 
instructed to believe issue from spirits " confined fast in 
fire, to howl forever in regions of eternal night." In an 
instant we were up and armed. The cry however approach- 
ed, and increased to an alarming degree ; the shrubs rust- 
led, the leaves flew, and the pursuing and pursued, passed 
us in apparent hundreds. The whole uproar, however, on- 
ly was occasioned by a couple of wolves enjoying their 
nocturnal recreation in the chase of a herd of deer* 

They hunt in the style of the best dogs, but give tongue 
with less melody. The Indians who have the first rate dogs, 
cross the breed with the wolf, and have this purpose effect- 
ed by tying the female dog to a tree, in the haunt of wt)lves 
when she is iji season. Roused up again by a din not like- 
ly to quit the ears in a short time, we pursued our way to 
the Kenhaway, and having met with no very particulate 
event, I am again at liberty to conclude. 



LETTER XIX. 



Settlement of the French families removed fro7n GaUiopolis — 
their mode of life and domesticated animals — A French 
rural repast and dance — Navigation to Alexandria — ac~ 
count of the town and its vicinage — Portsmouth — the Sci- 
ota river — Chilicothe, principal town of the Ohio state — 
difficult access to it — the Peckawee plains — a grand situa* 
tion for a capital — antiquities of Chilicothe and barbarous 
taste of' the inhabitants — the Governor, his worthy cha- 
racter — slavery entirely abolished — its benejicial ejf'ects — 
salt springs — run to Maysville. 

Maysvilje, or Limestone Key, July, 1806. 
ON leaving the Great Kenhaway, I descended without 
interruption or stop twenty miles, when 1 made fast to the 
right haad shore, immediately opposite Little Sandy Creeii. 



jr& TRAVELS IN 

I brought too for the purpose of enquiring into the situa- 
tion of the French families who abandoned Galliopolis iii 
consequence of the imposition practised on them by the 
vender of the lands, and the ill health they enjoyed while 
on them. Opposite to the creek I have mentioned, and at 
the place I landed, is a tract of land of twenty thousand 
acres, extending eight miles on the river, granted by Con- 
gress to these unfortunate settlers, as some indemnification 
for the losses and injuries they had sustained ; and four 
thousand acres adjoining, granted to M, Gervais, one of 
the principals, for the same purpose. On this latter tract, 
I understand, M. Gervais laid out a town named Burrs- 
burgh, but it yet has to get an habitation and an inhabit 
tant. 

I found the settlers in something better health than at Gal- 
liopolis. They dwell altogether along the river bank. They 
pursue a mean system of agriculture. Their best exertion 
only extends to a few acres of Indian corn and garden-stuff 
to meet their rigid necessities^ They appear to have no idea 
of farming, or to think, what I cortceive perfectly just, that 
the price of produce is too contemptible to yield an equi- 
valent for the labor and health necessarily wasted in bring- 
ing it to growth and maturity. The management of 
peach orchards suits their talents and habits, and these 
they bring to profit and perfection. There are here two 
peach distilleries at work, that vend about 3000 gallons of 
peach brandy, the amount of which furnishes the settle- 
ment with coffee, snuff, knives, tin ware, and other small 
articles in demand among French emigrants I found the wo- 
men constantly occupied in making anexcellent strong cot- 
ton cloth, bluefor tlie men,and party- coloured forthemselves 
and children. 1 took a walk down the entire settlement, 
and was much pleased with the simple and primitive man- 
ner of its residents. 'Fhe day is passed' in the coarser in- 
dustry, the evening sitting in the house, or under the most 
adjacent shade, the women spinning, sevvinT;, and knitting, 
the men making and repairing their nets, gins, traps, and 
the children playing around, and instructing their pet ani- 
mals. 'I'he blue jay arriu^l at the art of speaking better 
than any other bird. I perceived among them ; the paro- 
quet also excelled in speaking; ; and the summer duck ex- 
ceeded any thing I ever saw m point ot plumage and colour. 
At one habitation were two beautiiul tame deer — one as 



AMERICA. i7r 

-■white as snow, and the other spotted like a leopard. They 
had each a collar and boll round ttie neck — went with the 
cows to pasture m the day tune, an<i returned at the sound 
of a conch shell to the protet^tion of the house tor the 
night. 1 considered them such singularly interesting crea- 
tures, that I made a proposition to purchase them, but was 
turned (rom the intention by the clamour and lamentations 
of the young people, who would by no means consent to 
part with their Julie and Eveline. 

Raccoons and opossums were common, and as tame as 
any animals could be. The opossums were not enter- 
tained on a mere principle of curiosity and pleasure: they 
were kept for utility. They bred with great regularity, 
and were esteemed better eating than a roasting pig — of 
whose flavour and qualities they strongly partake, 1 also 
took notice of a small aboriginal animal, called the Ground 
or Indian Hog — whose sensibilities are £o little refined, 
that no attention or caresses, can ever force from it a re- 
ciprocity of manners, or make it refrain from snapping at 
the hand extended with its daily food. I was very much 
alarmed on approaching a house, at the door of which a 
large cub-bear was hugging a child between his paws, and 
rolling and tumbling with it on the ground. The mother 
perceiving my apprehensions, exclaimed, " ! Monsieurf 
lie craignez rien, ils sont bans amis." 

It was sun set when I returned to my boat. I found a 
number of persons directly on the bank above it, assembled 
to converse with my man and Cuff. The manners of the 
French towards the Indians, form a complete contrast to 
those of the Americans. The French are sociable and 
friendly to them, the Americans rude, distant and austere. 
Jn consequence, the Indians carry on a profitable inter- 
CK)urse with the one, while they studiously avoid, and man- 
ifest contempt for the other. The French never receive 
any injury or outrage from wandering tribes, while the A- 
mericans stand in perpetual anxiety, if the Indian hunters 
are known to be within fifty miles of them. The French 
comprehending, from the manner I addressed them, that I 
was not displeased with their appearance about the boat, 
proposed with all imaginable gaiete de cceur^ to sup on the 
ground, and have a little dance. I entered into their views 
with a vivacity which shewed them hat 1 took an interest 
ia their pleasures, and I turnished ray portion of the iu- 



178 TRAVELS) 11^ 

tended fete in buiscuit, which was of the highest estima- 
tion, as the settlement had been for several months without 
■fiovr-bread. The neighbouring houses soon provided their 
quota of milk, cheese, fruit, and various xiandes, and three 
youths with a flute and two violins, were prepared to strike 
up after the rural repast. Never was supper more che(sr- 
fut. never was society of so strange a melange seated on the 
banks of La Belle Rivere. Old P>enchraen, lively as youth, 
in large crimson caps; their wives still more animated, 
ilressed in the obsolete times of Louis XlVth — the youth' 
of both ^exes habited suiiant Vmage du patjs and mirth- 
ful, as if " fortune smiled upon their birth," formed the 
great outlines ot the picture, while numbers of the domes^ 
ticated animals I have mentioned followed their masters, 
and seemed " to crave their humble dole." Some with- 
out apprehension or restraint, came into the circle, while 
©thers maintained a cautious distance, and feared to com- 
mit themselves to the confidence of man. 

Supper over, and the remains carried off, dancing com- 
menced. Old and young at first joined with the utmost 
demonstrations of felicity and mirth, at length the aged 
and infirm sat down, while the youth danced cotillions for 
at least two hours. The dancing was highly graceful, and 
in as perfect tune and step as if the performers had beeii 
the disciples of Vestris. Our festive scene was closed by 
a performance of Cuff's — he gave us in a grand stile a war, 
funeral, and marriage dance, which the French had the 
complaisance to applaud^ though the words, ^^ quel horreur ! 
quelle abomination! Sacre Dieu ! le Sauvage !" were tittered 
from every mouth. At twelve o'clock we separated, and 
with as many adieus and souvenez vous de moi as if our in- 
timacy had been for years, and our future friendship to be 
eternal. 

I left the settlement the fallowing morning, much pleas- 
ed with ray visit, and the improved opinion it allowed me 
to entertain of a people whom 1 had to commisserate, from 
the accounts 1 heard of them at Galliopolis. I sincerely 
hope that the place may become healthy in time, and ad- 
mit to their original views some small degree of realization 
and success. 

'JVelve miles below the French Grant, I came before 
the little Sciota, a small rivulet on thesameside, from the 
rnoutii of which a bar of rocks exteadis half ^ross the O - 



AMERICA. 179 

hio. The channel at the upper end of tlie bar is near the 
Kentucky bhore — at the lower end it is close round the 
rocks. About half a mile lower down 1 came to another 
,bar, extending more than half across the river. Opposite 
the bar on the Kentucky shore, I found the water so shal- 
low, that I was apprehensive of striking every moment. 
Working midway between the point of the bar, and the 
'Kentucky shore, 1 recovered a good channel, and without 
sustaining any damage, though for some time my sound- 
ings were but from two feet to eighteen inches. 

Running eight miles from the Little, I arrived before the 
Big Sciota, a fine river on the right-hand shore, and drop- 
ed under Alexandria, a small town situated on the lower 
point, formed by the junction of the two rivers. Having 
secured the boat, I went up to the town, intending tomaka 
^rom it some few excursions. I give you their result, with- 
out fatiguing you with their detail. Alexandria contains 
about forty houses and three hundred inhabitants, Dutch, 
German's, Scotch, and Irish. While it was the seat of jus- 
tice, and only place of deposit for the merchandize of the 
-extensive settlements of the upper parts of the Sciota, it 
^rose with great rapidity, and held out such demonstrations 
of success, that numbers settled in the town and neighbour- 
.hood, and bought town lots at such an extravagant price 
and rash avidity, that none remained on the hands of the 
original proprietors. The building of a court-hou^ aug- 
mented the spirit of speculation and settlement, apd all 
went on to admiration, till the state legislature decreed, 
that the courts, offices, &c. should be removed across the 
mouth of the Sciota to a new town called Portsmouth, be- 
ing a situation more eligible for that purpose, and as a de- 
pot for merchandize and produce. In this manner did a 
stroke of the pen sign the ruin of Alexandria, and all the 
speculating forestallers of its adjacent lands and lots. A 
dutchman who had purchased a number c^f excellent build- 
ing grounds, proposed very seriously to " give me my choice 
for a strong pair of shoes." So sudden a fall is felt severe- 
ly by the inhabitants in general ; they sunk their means in 
giving the town a phlethoric rise, and are now without the 
capacity of removing. They disclaim sadly against the de- 
cree of the State Legislature, and say it was ordained t« 
flatter General Massey, who is a member of the State, and 
^^roprietor of the township of Portsmouth, On passing 



180 TRAVELS IN 

<»ver to Portsmouth in my canoe, I heard a more hojiest 
and probable story. Alexandria is insulated every sprirrg, 
and from lying below the mouth of the river, is not calco- 
lated for a place of depot or business. 

Portsmouth is in its first infancy. As the citizens of A- 
lexandria must ultimately remove to it or perish, and as it 
commands numerous advantages, both local and general, 
it is reasonable to conceive that it miist become a place of 
consequence and resort. 

The Sciota is two hundred and fifty yards wide at its 
mouth, which is in the latitude 38° 22' and at the Salt- 
lick towns, two hundred miles above the mouth, it is yet 
one hundred yards wide. To these towns it is navigable 
for loaded batteaux,aRd an eastern branch which it possesses, . 
affords navigation almost to its source in the confines of 
Canada and the great northern lakes. 

The lands immediately on the Sciota, are exceedingl/. 
rich and fertile, but subject to inundation, and consequent- 
ly capable of generating both fever and flux. 

Chilicothe, the principal town of the Ohio State, and the 
seat of government, lies about sixty miles up the Sciota. 
Having heard so much of the town and government, I de- 
termined on passing a day or two there, and judging for ' 
myself. I suffered severely for my curiosity. My route 
lay through a wilderness so thick, deep, dark, and impene- 
trable, that the light, much less the air of heaven, was near- 
ly denied access. We were, likewise, almost stung to mad- 
ness by musketoes. So numerous were these persecutors, 
that we walked amidst them as in a cloud, and suffered to 
an excess not possible to describe. On encamping in the 
evening I was in hopes the fire would drive them off, but 
was disappointed ; they continued during the night to hover 
over their prey, and remained buzzing about ourears, pre- 
venting the possibility of repose. 

Pursuing my route the next morning, I could discover 
the cause of such myriadsof musketoes. The great body of 
the country to a considerable distance west of the Sciota is 
a wood-swamp, a quality of land eminently favourable for 
the insect tribe, noxious reptiles, and inveterate disease. 
The evening of my second day's journey I arrived at Chili- 
cothe, where I put up at an excellent inn, and soon lost. 
tiVe impression of all my sufferings. 

Chilicothe ig in appearance a liuurislilng little town, coTi-., 



AMERICA. 181 

feining about one hundred and fifty houses neat and well 
built, several of them occupied by the servants of the State, 
such as governor, attorney, solicitor, and surveyor gene- 
rals, clerks ot the treasury, judges of the supreme court, 
attorneys &c. 1 observe it to be in appearance flourishing, 
because the principle of itsriseis more fortuitous than per- 
manent, and must in a year or two vanish entirely away. 
Like Alexandria, its fate is to be decided by a decree, or 
state act, which is shortly to fix on a more central situa- 
tion for the deliberations of the legislature, and for the re- 
moval of the ofificers and offices of government. When this 
takes place Chilicotiie will be at once abandoned, and the 
traveller who follows me will hardly find an inhabitant in. 
jt to teil him when it rose and how it fell : when it flourish- 
ed, unrl by what means it so soon decayed. This prema- 
ture and speed}' ruin must come upon it as well from its 
bemg abandonci by the bulk of its present wealthy inhabit 
tants, as from the situatu)n being sickly, and the adjacent 
couritry not being so rich as to inviie emigrants to settle 
•upon It in any numbers. Why the State Government do 
not name the Pickawee Plains for the seat of their capital, 
and the seat or their deliberations, is a matter of surprise. 
I rode to these plains iu about four hours from Chilicothe, 
and do not conceive that the world entire could furnish so 
grand, so great, or so sublime a positinn for a capital or 
great flourishing town. I'hough a plain, it inclines gradu- 
ally from its centre to its side, and commands a view over 
-vood-lands, and meadows of great magnificence and ex- 
tent. It lies but three miles from the river, and has in its 
vicinity excellent water and a number of salt-licks. PvC- 
turning from this ride through some small meadows of great 
beauty overun with flowers, 1 passed through a place call- 
ed the old Indian town, the remains of which were too im- 
perfect to merit investigation, and on entering Chilicolhe, 
I found an ancient im>und was suffered to remain in thc- 
centre of the town both as a monument of former times, 
and of the taste of the present inhabitants. 1 was encour- 
aging opu-^ions highly flattering to the citizens who appear- 
ed to honour antiquity so much as to build round the base 
of one of its most interesting subjects, till, on taking the 
circumference of the mounds, 1 discovered that they had 
begun to fell the timber from the sides and summit, and to 
<:artf off the mould to fill up hojes in the streets, or to 

Q 



182' TRAVELS IN 

throw open their gardens and cultivated ground. The r(i- 
spectl had commenced to entertain for the inhabitants fled 
before this testimony of the depravity of their taste and 
vul^^arity of their minds. Never did art or nature before 
accord to a town so beautiful, so antique, or so interesting 
an ornament. An ornament connected with the history of 
the remotest times, with men and events no longer known to 
posterity, and with feelings and circumstances which ought 
to have endeared it to the heart and made it an object fit 
for the most sacred contemplation of the mind. 

Previously to my ride to the Pickawee's, I waited on the 
governor (Mr. Tiffin) with a letter recommending me to 
his attention. 1 was handed a card which desired my com- 
pany to dinner on the day of my return. I readily com- 
plied and met at his house nearly all the officers of the 
iState. They were mostly from Eastern America, and of 
better manners and education than I had for some time 
met. ihe governor, very fortunately for the State, is noth- 
ing more than a plain, well informed, honest man. Some 
out of derision and others out of resj^ect call him a religi- 
ous character. The latter class have all the honour and 
justice of the appellation, as no state in the union progresses 
more in prosperity, or is so distinguished for morals, integ- 
rity, and public worth. The simple and sophisticated prin- 
ciples of the governor pervade the whole State. 

The first act of the Ohio State legislature, advised by 
this honest man, was to abate the spirit of the master, and 
to allow that of the slave to rise from the dust : not to 
mollify his condition as in other countries by gradual pro- 
ceedings, but at once to declare him free and independent 
as themselves, equally ejitilled to the auspices of heaven, 
and to the protection of the laws and immunities of their 
emancipated state. The act immediately destroyed the 
whole commerce and distinction between master and slave, 
which was a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous pas- 
sions, the most unremitting des]M)tism on the one part, and 
degrading submission on the other. To this benign and hu- 
mane proceeding may be attributed the rapid pro>«perity 
of the State, ^lany of those whohad ardently wished for 
the regeneration of the^egro race came and settled in the 
province which declared them free ; others followed men 
whose example and probity they admired, and the country 
possesses an industrious population improved by the morut^ 



AMERICA. 183 

exefcises of the body and the mind. Whereas in the Vit-^ 
giman, Kentuckyan, Tenessee, and Caroiinean States, the 
whole labour of the citizens is to storm, to give a loose to 
the worst of passions, and get their work performed by ex- 
ercising a tyranny over others which they stamp with a va- 
riety of horrid and painful peculiarities. I also learned 
while at table, where the conversation led to points on 
which I expressed a desire of information, that the gover- 
nor has directed the attention of the legislature to the im- 
provement of the penal code; to the more equal distribu- 
tion of punishment, and the simplification of the law by 
casting out all extraneous expressions and matter, and by 
rejecting every obsolete and technical word. The governor's 
notion is that the people ought to understand the language ^ 
of an act as well as the lawyers who benefit by its miscon- 
ceptions and abuse, and that a law, in order to be useful 
should be simple and uttered in words intelligent to tlie 
vulgar and unlettered mind. I conceive that this conduct 
will be followed by a very salutary effect. It certainly 
promises to be productive of understanding and to the dis- 
covery of truth without the interventions of learning or 
the inter^rence of many heads. The world wanted to see 
a trial of this enlightened kind ; a few years will decide its 
success, and I sincerely desire it rfiay, in the proportion 
which the intentions of the governor so easily merit. 

r understood from the gentlemen of our party who had 
explored the whole State, that the best land lay to the 
west of GHilicothe; that it was fitted to an incredible de- 
gree for all the purposes of agriculture Rnd grazing stock of 
every kind except sheep, which could not be kept from 
panthers and wolves that were every where in great num- 
bers. To annihilate this last grievance a premium of re- 
compence is offered by the government for every panther's 
skin. 

1 left the governor instructed and pleased with the time'" 
I passed under his plain, yet hospitable roof, and prepared 
a canoe to descend the Sciota the succeeding morning, 
with much exertion I got down by the noon of the second 
day. 

The principal salt-prings towards the head waters of the 
Sciota arc the property of the United States, They yield 
a profit of twenty-five per cent, on capital laid out, and all 
other incidental expences. The remains of a few Indiau- 



184. TRAVELS IH 

nations inhabit the head of the river adjoining the lakes, 
and the banks from the lakes to the Ohio abound with In- 
dian monuments to such a degree, that it is evident they 
were formerly the favourite resort and residence of nume- 
rous tribes. 

1 left the Sciota with very little regret : the heat, the in* 
sects and the vermin annoyed me so much that I was glad to 
push into the middle of the great current, and pursue my 
way to the town, at which I arrived in two easy days run, 
from the Sciota a distance of sixty-two miles, in which I 
passed three islands and several cr'-^.eks of no account, ex* 
cept Salt Lick Creek, jiist above the mouth of which is a 
town called Vanne Ville, where considerable salt works are 
tarried on, and salt made of a good quality. This creek 
is on the Kentucky shore. 1 should also have remarked 
Ihat ten miles above Maysville the town of Manchester 
stands on the right hand shore. It is not thriving, though 
jt is pleasantly situated, and commands a delightful and 
extensive view down the Ohio. Immediately above it is a 
.chain of islands, three in number, well timbered, but lying 
.^0 low to be occupied by the farmer. 



LETTER XX. 



,Mo)/sville orLimestoneToum — Liberty fo-xn — inferior of Ken- 
tucky — deceitful prospect — Wa'shiugton — Maya Lick, a 
.Halt-spring — Salt Licks^ uhy so called — the Blue Lick 
— Millersburgh — Paris. 

Maysville, or Liniestoue Kcj, July, IBCT^. 
THIS is the oldest and most accustomed landing place 
^n the whole State of Kentucky, and the termination of the 
main road from Lexington and other interior towns. The 
distance to Lcxiiigton is sixty-three miles, and from Pitts- 
burg four hundred and t^wenty-five. The creek just above 
railed Limestone creek, is inconsiderable of itself, but af- 
lt)rds in high water a small harbour for boats. The land- 
ing is a good one, lying in the bend of the river. The towiv 
contains about seventy houses, and supplies accommoda- 
^Aon for the storage of goods deposited here before they ars 



AMERICA. 135 

received into waggons which take them to Lexington, 
whence they are distributed through the entire State. Ifc 
would appear from the commanding situation of the town, 
from its being a place of deposit, and from the excellence 
of its landing, that it ought to rise into eminence and be- 
come a place of mercantile importance, and it possibly 
would, if nature and circumstances had not otherwise de- 
termined. It is seated on the segment of a circle circum- 
scribed to a few acres, cut and intersected by ravines, and 
bounded by the river in front, and by stupendous moun- 
tains in the rear. The town has taken but fifteen years to 
arrive at the extent of its limits and the acme of its vigour; 
and ten more will close the history of its decline and fall. 
The cause of a declension so rapid is owing to a town be- 
ing laid off by the State legislature, about a mile above 
.Maysville, in a spacious and pleasant bottom of the Ohio, 
which possesses the advantages of extent, water and excel- 
lent roads into the interior of the country. This new town, 
called Liberty, is progressing fast. Some of the most ac- 
tive and speculative inhabitants have removed to it from 
Maysville, and a ship yard, under the direction of Mes- 
sieurs Gallaghus' is established, which has already turned 
off the stocks, and launched fit for sea, five vessels, the last 
of which was a fine ship, of three hundred and fifty tons J 

From Limestone, and of course from Liberty, to the 
Tiiouth of the Ohio and down the Mississippi, loaded boats 
can go at all seascms, unless in time of ice, without any 
difficulty, except at the falls and one or two other places. 
At this period however, and at all times when the water is 
entirely low, the navigation is excessively tedious, 

1 have just returned from a tour of ten days into the in- 
terior of Kentucky. I give you the substance of it in a& 
few words as possible. 

My landlord at Maysville accommodated me with a tol- 
erable good horse, but the hill was so steep at the back of 
the town, that I had to lead him up it for fear of blowing 
him in the early part of his journey. Ariiving on the 
summit, 1 was struck with a prospect which has deceived 
and deluded many a one betore me. It was a plain, thick- 
ly settled with excellent well built farm houses, and rais- 
ing wheat and corn of a strength- and luxuriance perhaps 
unknown to any other country than the opposite Ohio 



186' TRAVELS IN 

State. This prospect makes a most infatuated ijnpressioii 
on these poor emigrants destined iorKentuck), and who- 
for seven hundred miles before had iheir viev\ intercepted 
by mountains and chains of mountains, extending through- 
the country, or elevating their heads io the skies. Struck 
with the beauty and richness of the valley, at length seen, 
they would think the land of promise at last obtained ; 
bless their fate, and pursue their journey to meet with oth- 
er chains of mountains, and other endless succession of 
hills. The mountain descended, 1 lost sight of the valley^, 
and gained the summit of a ridge which conducted me to 
AVashington, a town four times as large as Maysville, and 
but four miles distance from that place. 

It appears that Washington was built and rose into mag- 
nitude at a period when the Kentuckyans, terrified at the 
warlike spirit and just depradations of the Indians, were 
afraid to dwell upon the river shores, where canoes could 
silently arrive in the night and call upon them for a sud- 
den retribution, or inlhct upon them a severe revenge ! 
Since that period it has retained its importance, and prob- 
ably improved, owing to the necessary contraction of 
.Maysville, and the antipathy of the former to the moun- 
tain lying between the cultivated grounds and that town. 

Mayslick is a salt-spring formerly worked, since aban- 
doned in consequence of the discovery of le;.-s feeble wa- 
ters. It is yet interesting from having been the resort of 
millions of animals who came there to purity their blood 
at annual intervals and return to the great barrens, swamps,., 
wildernesses, and cane- breaks, in search of favorite pastures 
though pregnant with putridity and disease. I amused 
myself more than an hour in discovering vestiges of facts- 
which' occurred in the most remote antiquity. No vege- 
table whatever grows near the Lick. The soil fit for veg- 
etation being trampled down below the surface, and a blue 
clay trampled up is perhaps the cause of this phenomenon. 
At all events it cannot be attributed to the bait and sul- 
phur of the ground, as Other grounds are known, saturated 
with those qualities, to produce vegetation in a rich abun- 
dance. In the vicinity of the spring are several holes- 
marked in such a manner as to proclaim at once that they 
were formed by animals wallowing in them after they had 
bathed and satiated there, pass on for the waters of the 
spring. Some batiks in the neighbourhood arc hollowed 



AMERICA. 187 

mit in a semilunar manner from the action of beasts rub- 
bing against them and carrying olf quaatitiPi ol the earth 
on their hides, wet, with the view of ternpeiing the mould 
and torniing a coat of mail to resist the stings of wasps and 
all the armed insect tribe. One of those scooped out hol- 
lowed banks a]'peared like a side of a hill from which one 
hundred thousand loads of soil might have been carried off, 
and the height of the waste of the bank b}*^ friction was so 
great that 1 could not reach it within ten feet, though aid- 
ed by a pole seven teet long. I admit that some of the 
upper part might have washed down and given the place a 
space not required by attrition, but the impression made 
on the mind from genei'al appearances of the concavity 
which cannot be described, was favorable to an idea that 
the concave s\ve?p was made in the bent by animals of un- 
common height and magnitude ; probably by the mam« 
moth, whose bones have been often found not far distant 
from the spot. Other substances within the erea of the 
salt ground evince their having been' licked and worn by 
the action of the tongue. It was these indications which 
induced the first settlers to give the name of salt licks to 
saline springs. They abound at Mayslick, and are express- 
ed on stones with more precision than on the banks or 
surface of the impregnated earth, th^ impressions of which 
diminish with the encrease of time. The indention on one 
stone I found to be four inches deep, that is in its greatest 
concavity, and seven inches wide. On the same rock were 
several lesser indentions, and on other rocks, after more 
minute research, I discovered several more concavities^ 
both larger and smaller than what I have described. The- 
stone appeared to me to be a blue limestone either impreg- 
niited with salt, or receiving it on its surface, from the va-* 
pours issuing from the spring, and failing to the earth from 
incapacity to rise in consequence of its densit) and weight. 
'io me the taste of sulphur appeared to predominate in the 
sj)ring more than that of salt ; and as the salt water rose 
and blended with the fresh, it ditfused itself in black ck'uds 
through the surface and discolored it as far as the salt in- 
dulation could extend. 

Having made these few remarks, I mounted my horse, 
and continued the road to Lexington, till I arrived at a. 
place called the Blue lick, both from the colour of the 
stoiie and the clay brought to the surface by the coustafc'i 



188 TRAVELS IN 

trampling of the thousands of animals which formerly fre- 
quented the springs. Here also vegetation entirely ceases. 
The blue springs are now in operation ; the water has not 
much strength ; nine hundred gallons are required to make 
a bushel ot salt, the price of which at the furnace is two 
dollars and a half. The indications of rolling in the mire, 
attrition of banks, and indentions in rocks, from licking 
their surface, are more numerous at the Blue than at 
Mayslick ; and an old settler informed me, that on search- 
ing for the best fountains of salt, bones were discovered,- 
which required from four to six men to remove. One en- 
tire defence, or Mammoth's horn was raised up and lay on 
the bank till knocked to pieces by persons coming along 
and who wished to Jind out what it was. 

I pursued my journey for the remainder of the day with- 
out any particular occurrence to divert ray attention till I' 
arrived late in the evening at a little town called Millers- 
burg, where I proposed passing the night. Millersburgh is 
thirty-seven miles from Limestone, and the rnad, without 
any essential exception, is a mere buffalo track, follo^ving 
skillfully the ridges of hills and mountains, to avoid deep 
ravines and swamps, which occasionally occupy the few 
interstices and intervals which lie between tliem. Noth- 
ing like a plain did I see the whole day, save what I no- 
ticed in the morning, or any other prospect whatever, than 
one mighty scene of endless mountains, covered with pon- 
derous and gloomy wood. I did not even meet with so- 
much interval land as could suffice a single farm, and had 
1 not refreshed at the Licks, \ might have fasted till my 
arrival at the town. And yet that part of the country is 
described by Imley and others, as a lawn producing shrubs 
and flowers, and fit for the abode of gods instead of man,- 
Had such writers been aware that their romance might 
occasion miseries in real life, 1 am willing to think that 
they would have controuled the fancy which produced it, 
and have given the world plain and useful truths, which 
would served the unfortunate emigrant as a faithful and 
honest guide, in the place of offering him flattering and 
fallncious images, the pursuit of which winds up his histo- 
ry of calamity, disappointment, and destruction ; and he 
.discovers the nature of romance at the price of his happi- 
iiess and fortune. 



AMERICA. 189 

After passing the night very uncomfortably at Millers- 
imrgh, a complete Kentucky iniif 1 next morning set out 
and rode to Paris, which was but eight miles from Millers- 
burgh, to breakfast, and had to notice a vast amelioration 
in the land, and a sensible disposition in the mountains to 
subside into plains and valleys of greater range and extent 
than any I had hitherto seen in the State. The ground 
about Paris, notwithstanding, was broken with several hills, 
and the town itself stood on the high bank of a consider- 
able creek, which gave the face of the country a still more 
interrupted appearance. On the whole, the situation wa» 
beautiful and highly advantageous, as the creek supplied 
falls for two mills, and water of a good quality for domestic 
and other purposes. Paris contains about one hundred 
and fifty houses, and being the county town of Bourbon, 
has a court-house and other oirlces of justice. When I 
rode up to the inn, a negro girl took my horse to the sta- 
ble, and said she was hostler ! 

I arrived at Paris at so early an hour that few of the \ 
family were stirring, and no breakfast appeared likely to ' 
be had for some time. This reminded me of a very disa- 
greeable custom prevailing all through America. No in- 
dividual traveller can get breakfast, dinner or supper, at 
times of his own choosing. He must wait for the family 
hours,, and till all the strangers assemble and sit down to- 
gether. Those who arrive after this species of public 
breakfast, have to wait for dinner, and such as miss the 
dinner hour must fast till night. They have other customs 
calculated also to annoy ; for instance, on entering the 
Paris inn, I expressed a wish to have breakfast as soon as 
possible, as I had to reach Lexington to dinner. And to 
expedite the breakfast, 1 begged to have nothing prepared 
but tea or coffee. These instructions availed me nothing. 
Children were dispatched after fowls which took to the 
gardens and fields in vain to prolong their minutes, which 
■were numbered, they were caught, plucked, and put on 
the fire, part of which was previously occupied baking 
bread, frying ham, &c. &:c. After the expiration of two 
hours, a table was set out with knives, forks, pickles, SiCo 
&c. covered with several dishes of cold and hot meat, 
while the tea was held at a distance, to be handed at in- 
tervals for drink. I made my breakfast on tea and heavy 
kot bricks, and could not resist telling the landlady that 



ISO TRAVELS IN 

she vvonld have spared herself much trouble and given me 
much time, had she made but a cup of tea in the first in*- 
stance. She observed, that might be, but that she was 
always used to do as she had done, and altered her wayi 
for nobody. I asked her what was to pay, and cast a dol- 
lar upon the table, enraged at the low state of some minds^ 
their attachment to wrong, and determination to persist in 
evil and dull habits, which they know to be adverse to 
their prosperity and improvement. She took up the dol- 
lar, and pitching it to a negro, desired him to chop it, 
^' Chop it ! ma'am I want it changed." She made no re- 
ply, but, going to the man desired him to chup out ol the 
dollar one quarter and one eight ; in other words, to cut 
out her charge of one shilling and threepence for my 
breakfast, and ninepence for my horse. The man did this 
with great dexterity, and returned me the dollar with 
nearly one fourth cut out, with an angle running to the 
middle, which gave it the appearance of three fourths of a 
circle. Learning that this was the legal mode ot procur- 
ing change, 1 got the same dexterous person to. transform 
a couple more dollars with his chissel, into quarters, 
eighths, and sixteenths. He executed that service in a few 
moments ; 1 received a handful of small change, which I 
found of advantage on the road. 

Supplied with change and fresh information, I left Paris, 
and arrived at Lexington, through a country for the most 
part fertile, and cultivated in the proportion of one enclos- 
ed acre to one thousand waste. A very great pro})ortion 
in favour of agriculture above any part I have seen since 
my descent of the river, or since my arrival on the west 
side of the Alleghany mountains, farewell, 1 shall resuaie 
this route in my next. 



AMERICA, jgt 



LETTER XXr. 



Lexington described — Churches — University — Amusements 
— Concerts and balls — The inhabitants, male and female 
— Trade — The merchants, their great wealth — The mar- 
ket — Expence of boarding — The town likely to decrease — 
climate— fevers — their causes — soil — farms, produce, S^c, 
— A catacomb with mummies — manner of embalming, 

Maysville, or Limestone, July, 1806. 

LEXINGTON stands in that portion of the state of 
Kentucky which has been so celebrated for its excessive 
fertility, pre-eminent beauty, and abundant advantages. 
It is the most flourishing, and with but one exception, the 
largest inland town in the United States. The site is a 
valley running between the rise of grounds, which undulate 
like the sea, and subside into plains whose inclination is 
inerely sufficient to cast off the waters without confining 
the circulation of air or circumscribing the prospect a- 
round. No situation could be more favoujable, except 
for the absence of water. 

The town is composed of upwards of three hundred 
houses ranged into streets intersecting each other at right 
angles, i'hey are principally built of brick, in a hand- 
some modern manner, and many of them are furnished 
with some pretentions to European elegance. The pub- 
lic buildings consist of a University, Court-house, iMaiket, 
liull. Bank, and four Churches, it they can be so called, 
one Luthcrean, one Presbyterian, and two sects of Method- 
ists. The inhabitants shew demonstrations ol civilization ; 
but at particular times, on Sundays and market-days, they 
give a loose to their dispositions, and exhibit many traits 
that should exclusively belong to untutored savages. Their 
churches have never been finished, and they have all the 
^lass struck out by boys in the day, and the inside torn up 
.^y rogues ajui prostitutes who frequent them at night. 

The university is a good brick building, supported by 
public bounty, elumosinary collections, and private mu- 
nificence. Some ;2cntlei:ien in London have furnished it 



392 TRAVELS IN 

with books and mathematical instruments. It lias a prii^- 
cipal, two Latin and Greek, and one English and Mathe- 
matical Proiessor, These gentlemen are appointed by the 
governors ot the university, who are the head officers of 
*^tate and citizens of the town ot" Lexington, The univer- 
sity is not calculated to lodge the scholars v ho frequent it ; 
they amount to one hundred, and are boarded in the town 
for sixteen pounds each per ani.um, washiiig and lodging 
inclusive. The course of study and the plan oi the uni- 
versity is after the manner of a good English grammar 
school, and turns out young men, who are far from being 
contemptible scholars. 

The prevailing individual amusements of Lexington are 
clrinkingBnd gambling, at billiards and cards. Every idle 
hour is spent at taverns and billiard-rooms. The public 
anuisernents consist of concerts and balls, which are well 
attended, and by a company not expected to bu seen on a 
transmontane state. 'I'he ladies -x})res.s in their appear- 
ance and manners a va^t superiority over the men. They 
are in general better educated, anti by leading a temperaie 
life ot serene repose, they pr-'i^e^ve a tranquil a;ia healthy 
appearance, which the men tbrteit at an early pe* io.i, by a 
propensity to drinking, and by .i.baiidoning themsrives at 
all times to turbulent and unruly passions. The women 
arc tair and florid — many of theni mii^ht be considered as 
rude beauties, but none of them have any pretensions to 
that cha>te and' elegant form of person and countenance 
which distmguish our country women and other ladies of 
Europe. The absence of that irresistible grace arid ex- 
pression may be attributed lo their dist.ince from improved 
society, and to the savage taate and vvilsarity of the men. 

A small party of rich citizens are endeavouring to with- 
draw tlicmselves from the multitude, or to draw a line of 
distinction between themselves as gens comrne ilfaut and 
the canaille. The public at idvge conceive this a danger- 
ous innovation ; they wish men to continue all vagrants a- 
like, and tear that the light of a tVw characters distinguish-' 
ed by a superiority of virtue and integrity, will exhibit ge- 
neral deformity in stronger colours, and render public vice 
more great and flagitioui than what their conduct could 
wish it toapjiear. The present better sort of persons con- 
sist of six or eight famdies, who live in a handsome man-. 
ner,'keep livery servants, and admit no persons to their ta-i 



a:vi ERICA. m 

h\e of vulgar manners or suspicions cliaracter. As wealth 
encreases in Kentucky, the line of distinction will extend 
through Lexington to the minor commercial towns, and 
may possibly pervade the country after a lapse of some 
centuries. 

The principal business of the town and state is conduct- 
ed by the heads of the houses emancipated from the vulgar 
bondage of the people. That business consists of ordering 
immense quantities of goods from Philadelphia and Balti- 
more, and in bartering the same through the State for pro- 
duce, which they forward to Frankfort and Lanesville by 
land, and from thence to New Orleans by water. The 
goods are all British of every kind, and the produce takeh 
in exchange coubists of flour, corn, hemp, flax, cotton, to- 
bacco, ginsang, &c. and of live hogs, pork, hams, and ba- 
con. The merchants of Lexington not only supply their 
own state, but that of Tenassg, which lies to the southward 
of them, and part of {'he Indian territory, which lies to the 
north. In consequence they are becoming extremely 
wealthy, possessing from fifteen to forty thousand dollars a 
year, and are instrumental to the dissemination of wealth 
in the town, and all the collateral state settlements. 

The market is abundantly supplied with every article of 
provision, found in the first markets of Europe, except fish ; 
I, cannot give you a better idea of its cheapness, than by 
stating certain demands of publicans and others. The 
highest taverns charge half a dollar a day for lodging and 
three repasts, each o( which consists of a profusion of meat 
and game, with vegetables of various s-'Tts. The morning 
and evening meal has in addition, cofiee and tea, which are 
handed wlien called for, being considered as no more than 
auxiliaries to the least. Interior taverns find every accom- 
modation for two dollars a week, and boarding houses fur- 
nish the same from fifty to one hundred dollars \ev year. 
Under these considerations it might be conceived, that 
Lexington must become a place of magnitude and import- 
ance. There are however, circumsta'nces which relume en- 
couragement to such an idea. The State of Kentucky is ' 
not likely to increase in population. I may even be nearer 
to truth in the assertion, that its uunibcrs will decrease and ' 
rapidly decline. There was a time when its reputation 
"was so great, that the stream of emigration set into it from 
the tlftst, anil deposited here the riches and the people of 
R 



J9^ THAVELS IN 

numerous provinces. This people and others brouglit into 
the west by the same flood, in ihe process of a tew years 
^explored other regions, and opt^ned avenues to other coun- 
tries and climes more generally lertile and capable of sup- 
plying the comforts and necessaries of life. jNlany have 
gone north to the Ohio, some North and West to the In- 
dian territory, and thousands have passed to the South to 
people the Tenasse, and the remotest forests of Louisiana. 
^This spirit of emigration still prevailing, it is evident that 
the town and state are no longer susceptible of rising into 
eminence, and that t^eir decline and degeneracy in wealth 
are reasonably to be apprehended. 

In regard to the climate the winter is mild ; snow ami 
frost seldom continue above .three or four weeks ; the 
spring is dry, interrupted only by the necessary refresh- 
ment of occasional showers ; the summer is not violently hot, 
being tempered by a perpetual breeze; and the autumn is 
distinguished by the name of the Second Summer. Con- 
trouled by these facts, the public cry is that Kentucky must 
be healthy, thatenjoying such a climate, it cannot be other- 
wise, and that no country of the globe can boast such sa- 
lubrity and such an atmosphere. It is my misfortune to 
have to dispute and to deny these facts — which I too wish- 
ed to cherish, but which vanish before investigation and en- 
quiry. A spring, summer, and fall fever regularly visits 
the town of Lexington, and every settlement of the State; 
and at the moment I was in Lexington a malignant disease 
raged with such violence at the town of Frankfort, but 
twenty-four miles distant, that all intercourse and commu- 
nication between that town and country were suspended 
and cutoff. Louisville, another town on the Ohio, has lost 
all its original settlers in the period of ten years ; and eve- 
ry other town and portion of the Slate are affected with 
periodical complaints. 

On reflection and conviction of the charms of the sea- 
sons, I am forced into the opinion that the climate itself is 
healthy, but subject to corruption from local circumstan- 
ces and mephitic vapour, introduced into the atmosphere 
from the southern and westei*. swamps and stagnated wa- 
ters. There is nothing more common in Kentucky in the 
fine seasons than to meet with bodies of warm air, which, 
though they pass rapidly by, very forcibly strike the senses. 
Their heat is considerably beyond that of the human body. 



AMERICA. 195 

"ihey have been calculated to ha about twenty or thirty 
feet diadieter horizontally. Of their height there is no 
experience, but probably they are globular volumes rolled 
along with the wind, and generated in the cypress swamps 
of the corrupt provinces of Louisiana. They are most fre- 
quent at sun-set, rare in the middle parts of the day, and 
hardly ever met with in the morning. That they are nox- 
ious there can be but little doubt, from their oppressive 
heat, and the langour they cause in those whom they strike, 
and on whose habitations they sometimes tarry. Their mo- 
tion is very sluggish except when accelerated by winds, at 
which times they hiove with so much velocity as not to af- 
ford time to the most sensible thermometer to seize their 
temperature. To these two causes, local corruptions and 
disease imported in large volumes of contagious air, I am 
incliried to attribute the unhealthiness of the country. 

Lexington' was formerly the capital of the State. That 
title has been transferred to Frankfort, in consequence, I 
presume, of that town standing on the head of the naviga- 
tion of a river of the same name. From the dreadful pe- 
riodical sickness of that town the legislature is again ex- 
pected to return to Lexington, where a large court house 
is now buiMing, and some other public works going on If 
this event does take place, it will add considerably to 
the consequence of the town, by augmenting its population 
and increasing its opulence. 

Thesoil round Lexington is from one to thfrty feettleep— 
the bottom throughout the whole State a solid bed of lime- 
stone. The beds of creeks and streams are solid limestone ; 
and the Kentucky river runsthrough a natural canal, whose 
perpendicular sides of one hundred teet high are composed 
of limestone rock. The farms in the vicinity of Lexingtoi> 
are very neat, and many of them affect the English manner. 
The produce is great, the price low. Flour three dollars 
per barrel — Corn one shilling per bushel. The distribu- 
tion of water is very unequal through the State. The great- 
est part of the farms have none but wliat they procure fron-\ 
wells cut through the limestone rock, several feet thick, 
and through strata of clay and gravel of infinite hard la- 
bour. The wells, in general, descend sixty feet. Gardens 
produce with great and excellent abundance. Melons, 
cucumbers, &c. grow in the open air, without manure or 
attention. Grapes cluster in the woods, and peaches and 
pomgranates flourish in the corn fields. 



Iptf . TOAVELS IN 

^ Lexington stands nearly on the site of an old Indian town, 
which must have been of great extent and magnificence, 
as is amply evinced by the wide range of its circumvallato- 
ry works, and the quantity of ground it once occupied. 
Tim?, and the more destructive ravage of man have near- 
ly levelled these remains of former greatness with the dust, 
and would possibly allow them to sink into an entire ob- 
livion, were they not connected with a catacomb, formed 
in the bowels of the limestone rock, about fifteen feet be- 
low the surface of the earth, and lying adjacent to the town 
of Lexington ! This grand object, so novel and extraordi- 
nary in America, was discovered about twenty years ago 
>>3'Some of the first settlors, whose curiosity was excited by 
something remarkable in the character of stones which 
struck their attention while hunting in the woods. They 
removed these stones, and came to others of singular work- 
manship ; the removal of which laid open the mouth of a 
cave — deep, gloomy, and terrific. With augmented num- 
bers, and provided with cordage and light, they descended, 
and entered without obstruction a spacious apartment ; the 
sides and extreme ends were formed into nitches and com- 
partments, and occupied by figures representing men! 
When alarm subsided, and the sentiment of dismay and sur- 
prise permitted further research and enquiry, the figures 
were found to be Indian mummies, preserved by the art of 
embalming to great preservation and perfection of state! 

Unfortunately for antiquity, science, and every thing else 
held sacred by the illumined and learned, this inestimable 
discovery was made at a period when a bloody and invete- 
rate warfare was carried on between the Indians and the 
whites, and the power of the former was displayed in so 
formidable a manner, that the latter were filled with ter- 
ror and a spirit of revenge, which manifested itself both on 
contemptible and important occasions. Animated by this 
worthless and detestable spirit, the discoverers (^f the cata- 
comb delighted to wreak their vengeance even on the In- 
dian dead. They dragged the mummies to the day, tore 
the bandages open, kicked the bodies into dust, and made 
a general bonfire of the most ancient remains antiquity 
could boast: of remains respected by many hundred re- 
volving years, held sacred by time, and unsusceptible of 
corru))tion, if not visited by profane and violating hands! 

What these despoilers did not accomplish, their follow- 



AMERICA. m 

crs in the course of time took care to effect, I have ex- 
plored the catacomb, and can bear testimony to the indus- 
try and determination of the curious who resort to it to ef- 
face every mark of workmanship, and to destroy every evi- 
dence of its intention or original design ! — The angles and 
ornaments of the nitchesare mutilated; all projections and 
protuberances are struck off; every mummy removed, and 
so many fires have been made in the place, either to warm 
.the visitors or to burn up the remains, that the shades, dis- 
positions, and aspects, have been tortured into essential dif- 
ference and change. 

The descent is gradually inclined, without a rapid or 
flight of stairs. — The widthjour feet, the height seven^ — 
The passage but six feet long, is a proportion larger, and 
the catacomb extends one hundred paces by thirty-five. 
It is about eighteen feet high ; the rOof represents an ir- 
regular vault, and the floor an oblong square nearly level. 
From the nitches and shelvings on the sides, it might be 
conjectured, that the CiUacomb could contain in appropri- 
ate situations about two thousand mummies. I could ne- 
ver learn the exact quantity it did contain, the answer to 
my enquiries being " Oh ! they burned up and destroyed 
hundreds." Nor could [ arrive at any knowledge of the 
fashion, manner, and apparel of the mummies in general, 
or receive any other information than that " they were 
well lapped up, appeared sound and red, and consumed in 
the Are with a rapidity that baffled all observation and 
description." 

Not content with such general and traditionary remarks^ 
I employed several hinds, and brought to light forty or 
fifty baskets of rubbish gleaned throughout the vault, both 
from the sides and iroin the floor. The dust of the heap. 
was so light, impalpable and pungent, that it rose into 
the atmosphere and affected the senses so much as to 
cause effasion of the eyes and sneezing, to a troublesome- 
degree. 1 still proceeded on a minute investigation, and 
separated i'rom the general mass, several pieces of human 
limbs, fragments of bodies, solid, sound, ai^id apparently 
capable of eternal duration ! with much violence they 
broke into parts, but emitted no dust, or shewed any in- 
clination to putrization. The impalpable powder arose 
from the bands and ligatures with which they were bound, 
R ^ 



19» TRAVELS IN 

the pungency of which denoted their composition to b& 
vegetable matter. 

In a cold state the subjects had no smell whatever, bufe 
when submitted to the action of fire they consumed with 
great violence, emitted no smoke, and diifused an agreeable 
effluviag which scented the air, but with no particular flag- 
rance to which it could be assimilated. 

How these bodies were embalmed,, how long preserved ;. 
by what nation, and trom what people descended, no ideas 
can be formed, nor any calculation made, but what must 
result from speculative fancy and wild conjectures. For 
my part, I am lost in the deepest ignorance. My readings 
affords me no knowledge ; my travels no light. I have 
neither read, heard nor known of any of the North Amer- 
ican Indians who formed catacombs for their dead, or who 
were acquainted with the art of preservation by embalm- 
ing. The Egyptians, according to Herodotus, had three 
methods of embabning ; but Diodorus observes that the 
ancient Egyptians had a fourth method, of far greater su- 
periority. That manner is not mentioned by Diodorus, it 
has been extinct three thousand years, and yet I cannot 
think it presumptuous to conceive that the Indians were 
acquainted with it, or with a mode of equal virtue and 
effect. . 

The Kentuckyans assert in the very words of the Greek 
that the features of the face and the form and appearance 
of the whole body were so well preserved, that they must- 
have been the exact representations of the living subject.. 
The Indians could not have the art of embalming in the 
methods made known by Herodotus, because they never 
could have had the necessary materials — as evidence let 
us review the three systems, to which, in Egypt, different 
prices were attached. In the most^esteemed method, they 
extracted the brains by the nose with a crooked iron, and 
then poured in drugs : afterwards they opened the body, 
took out the bowels, washed the inside with palm wine, 
and having rubbed into it pounded perfumes, filled the 
cavity with m}'rrh, cassia, and other spices, and then sewed 
it up. After this they washed the body with nitre, then 
let it lie seventy days ; and having washed it again, bound 
it up in folds of linnen, besmearing it over with gums 
which they used instead of glue. The relations then took 
home the body, and enclosing it in the wyodcn iigutxj of a 



AMERICAi 1^9 

xaan, placed it in the catacombs. Another method of em- 
balming was, injecting turpentine of cedar with a pipe into 
the body, without cutting it : they then salted it for seven- 
ty days, and afterwards drew out the pipe, which brought 
along with it the intestines. The nitre dried up the flesh 
leaving nothing but skin and bones. The third way was 
only cleansing the inside with salt and water, and sailing 
it for seventy days. 

The first of these methods could not have been employ- 
ed by the Indians for want of palm wine, myrrh, cassia^ 
and other perfumes. The second could not be that prac- 
tised by them, as it tended to waste the flesh and preserve 
the mere skin and bones — and the third is inadmissible, 
from its incapacity to resist the unremitting destruction and 
ravages ot time. 

An argument may be adduced to favour an opinion of 
the remote antiquity of the Indian mummies, from the en- 
tire and complete consumption of their bandages, wrappers, 
and bands — which on the Egyptian mummies continue to 
this day in higher preservation than the body they envelop.. 
There is a mummy in an English collection of curiosities, 
brought from Egypt by the French, and taken from them 
by one of our privateers, which is remarkable for contain- 
ing only the head and part of the thigh and leg bones 
wrapped in folds of fine linnen to the consistence of three, 
inches thick. The linnen in someparts was as white and per- 
fect as new, and on the legs there was some appearance of 
the flesh still remaining, although, from a^moderate calcula- 
tion. It must have been embalmed upwards of two thou- 
sand years. It may then again be repeated, that the In- 
dian mummies are of higlTer antiquity than the Egyptian, 
as the bandages are consumed on the one though not oa 
the other ; except, as I had occasion to remark, that the 
Indian ligatures were of a substance more susceptible of 
decay than the Egyptian. But this is a subject of too great 
magnitude, variety and diff'usion, for my purpose. 1 sub- 
mit the fact for the consideration of a better judgment and 
an able pen, and conclude by informing you that I restor- 
ed every article to the catacomb — save some specimens 
retained as objects of the first curiosity, and blocking up 
the entry with huge stones which oiiginally closed it up, 
left the spot with the strongest emotions of veneration and 
displeasure : veneration for so sublime ^ monument of an- 



S0€ TRAVELS IN 

tiquity, and displeasure against the men whose barbaroui 
and brutal hands reduced it to such a state of waste and 
debolalion. 

No other catacomb is known in the State, though bar- 
rows abound in various directions. 



LETTER XXIL 



Excellent navigation between Limestone and Cincinnati — 
Augusta — The Little Miami of the Ohio — Culuinbia — 
Licking River — Cincinnati— details oj this important^ 
toxvn — Interesting anecdote oJ a lady. 

Cinemnati, State of Ohio, July, 18O6. 
THE navigation is so very good between Limestone 
and this town, a distance of sixty-eight miles, that 1 de- 
scended in two short days run, without meeting any ob- 
struction, there being but one island close to the Ken- 
tucky shore in the whole course, and 1 understand that 
there is no other to be met with for seventy-two miles fur- 
ther down, which leaves a range of one hundred and fifty 
miles of free navigation —a scope without example in any 
other of the western waters. 

Leaving Limestone seven miles, the first object I came 
to was Eagle Creek on the right hand shore. A little 
above it on the Kentucky side is a small town called 
Charlestown, opposite to which place, in the middle of 
the river is a very large sand bar, the channel past being 
on the left hand shore. Four miles Irom Eagle, is Bracken 
Creek on the Kentucky shore. It gives name to the coun- 
ty through which it runs. The county-town is fixed at 
the mouth of an extensive bottom, and in a very hand- 
some situation. It is yet small, not being long laid out. 
Augusta is the name given to it. 1 am disposed to think 
very favourably of the taste of the inhabitants from the 
judicious manner they have cleared the timber of their 
settlement. I'hey have left on a very fine bank of'graHual 
descent to the water, six rows of stately trees, which 
form several grand avenues and afford shade from the sun 



AMERICA. 20J 

without obstructing the breeze or circulation of air. They 
have also left clumps of trees and small groves in the im- 
provements which have a pleasing effect, and strike the 
attention more forcibly, as Augusta is the only town on 
the river which has respected the ornaments of nature oi- 
left a single shrub planted by her chaste yet prodigal hand.- 
In all other settlements the predominant rage is to destroy 
the woods, and what the axe cannot overturn is left to 
the vigour of fire. This element is applied to a work which 
mocks the labour of man, and in a short time converts 
the greatest forests and the richest scenes to a dreary pros- 
pect of dissolution and waste. 

Between Augusta and the Little Miami of the Ohio, a 
(distance of forty-two miles, I met with no circumstance 
worth relating. The Little Miami of the Ohio is sixty or 
seventy yards wide at its mouth, is sixty miles to its source, 
and affords no navigation. The lands on its banks arfe 
reckoned among the richest on the continent of America ; 
ihey lie low, are considerably settled and sell for from 
three to twenty dollars per acre. The river abounds in 
fish, runs over a rocky channel, and is as clear as foun- 
tain water. Just below the junction of this stream with, 
the Ohio is the town of Columbia, which rose out of the 
woods a few years ago with great rapidity and promise, and 
now is on the decline, being sickly and subject to insula- 
tion, when the waters of the Miami are backed up the 
country by the rise of the Ohio in the spring ; the current? 
of the Ohio being so impetuous as to hmder the Miami 
from flowing into the stream. 

Directly on turning into Cincinnati, I saw Licking River 
on the Kentucky shore. It is a large stream navigable for 
canoes and batteux, a considerable way up. The town 
of Newport is situated at the point formed by the junc- 
tions of this river with the Ohio. 

Cincinnati is opposite the mouth of Licking on the righ^ 
hand shore. It is four hundred and ninety-three miles 
from Pittsburgh, was once the capital of the North Wes- 
tern Territory, and is now the largest town of the Ohio 
State, though not the seat of government ; Chilicothe 
being the capital, and the residence of- the governor and 
legislative body. The town consists of about three hun- 
dred houses, frame and log built on two plains, the higher 
and the lower, each of which commands a line view o^ 



202 TRAVELS IN 

the opposite shore, the mouth of Licking, tlie towii of' 
Newport, and the Ohio waters for a considerable way botb 
up and down. The public buildings consist of a court-' 
house, prison, and two places of worship ; and two 
printing-presses are established which issue papers once a 
week. Cincinnati is alto the line of communication with 
the chaiii of lorts extended from Fort Washington to thd 
Westward, and is the principal town in what is called 
Symmes's Purchase. The garrison end of the town- 
is now in a state of ruin. A land office for the sale of 
Congress lands at two dollars per acre is held in the town, 
and made no less than seventeen thousand contracts the 
last year, with persons both from Europe and all parts of 
the United States. So very great and extensive is the 
character of the ])ortion of the State of which this town 
is the port and capital, that it absorbs the whole reputa- 
tion of the country, deprives it of its topographical name, 
and IS distinguished by that of the " Mianiis." In Hol- 
land, Germany, Ireland, and the remote parts of Ame- 
rica, persons intending to emigrate declare that they will 
go to the " Miamis.'' 

This reputation gives considerable consequence to the 
town, by adding to its population, and still more by peo- 
pling the immense regions ot its back countr3^ These 
regions are already making rapid advances in agriculture, 
and as Cincinnati is the emporium, its trade must be con- 
siderable, and ultimately great. The commerce at pre- 
sent is conducted by about the keepers of thirty stores, 
who issue to farmers and settlers all manner of British 
goods, and foreign and domestic spirits, in return for 
which, they receive produce which is converted into cash 
on being forwarded down ihe river to New Orleans and the 
West-Indies. The produce is abundant, but simple. It' 
consists chiefly of flour and provisions, m beef, butter^- 
and pork. The prices can hardly be adequate to the la- 
bour. Flour is three dollars and a half per barrel. Pork 
two and a half per cwt. ; beef two ; and butter sixpence 
per pound. I have no conception how the farmer suc- 
ceeds. The merchants, however, make an exorbitant 
profit ; those of four years standing, who come with goods 
obtamed at Philadelphia and Baltimore on crcditj have 
paid their debts, and now live at their ease. 



AMERICA. 203 

Of the society of the town it is ditTicult to give you a • 
/just idea, as from its heterogeneous nature, it does not ad* 
mit of being described by leading and characteristic fea- 
tures. I'he towH was originally settled by a lew of the 
officers and men of the disbanded western army ; they and 
their offspring are known by certain aristocratic traits, a 
distinction in living, and a generous hospitality. These 
were followed by a number of Dutch and Germans, who - 
^re remarkable, solely for domestic parsimony, industry, 
and moral conduct. A body of Irish next settled, and 
they too have their particular walk in which the^ exhibit 
many virtues blencled with strange absurdities, the one 
making them estimable, and the other rendering them ri- 
diculous ; the one manifesting itself in acts of humanity, 
public spirit and benevolence, and the other in duelling, 
points of honor, ruin, and flagitiousness ! To compleat 
the nations of this population, some French emigrants 
took up their abode in Cincinnati, and their publicity 
consists in their introduction of the dance, music, billiards, 
and the fabric of liquors, sweet-meats and savory patties, 

I believe you will allow that until these contrasted ma- 
terials amalgamate, there is no possibility of predicating 
any fixed opinion of the society they compose. I am hap- 
py notwithstanding to affirm that in general the people of 
Cincinnati make a favourable impression ; they are order- 
jy, decent, sociable, liberal and unassuming, and were I 
compelled to live in the western country, 1 would give 
their town a decided preference. There are among the 
citizens several gentlemen of integrity, intelligence and 
worth. Generals Gano and Finley, and Messieurs Dugan 
and Moore would be respected in the first circles of Eu- 
rope. I experience from them in my mere quality of stran- 
ger, attentions which it would be the blackest ingratitude 
to forget, and for which they shall ever have my respect 
and esteem. Korean I omit telling you that I have been 
favoured with the friendship and notice of Doctor Goforth, 
a very skilful physician, and a true lover of learning and 
science. I derive much pleasure, and glean much infor- 
mation from his society. He has lived in the western 
world twenty years, and employed the beginning of that 
period iu the study of nature, Irom which he was turned 
Ly the scofi's of the vulgar and the ridicule of fools. 



204 TRAVELS IN 

1'he amusements consist of balls and amateur plays, the 
former of which going lo literary and humane purposes, 
disposes me to consider them both entertainiBg and good. 
But I cannot form any judgment, the winter being the 
season for such spectacles. I have met with several ladies 
©f comliness, instruction and taste. They are generally 
tall, slender, and graceful figures, with much animation 
and expression. Their affability is very pleasinij, being at 
once remote from a vulgar familiarity and a hypocritical 
restraint. One young lady in particular is an object of 
general admiration and regard, pity and commisseration. 
She is a beauty of the first order, of the most exquisite 
proportion, and inimitable grace, and was instructed at 
^lew-York in every art fitted to. improve the heart and 
embellish the mind. Her accomplishments gave delight, 
her conversations wisdom, and her example instruction. 
So infinite was her excellence, that it put down all com- 
petition of beauty and talent, and the town considered 
iheir Clara as its pride and boast. On a water excursion 
a few years ago, Clara and a small parly were overtaken 
by a thunder storm. The first flash struck a friend dead 
at her feet, and the second nearly rent the boat and cast 
it on a rock from which the remaining party providentially 
were saved. To the astonishment of ah who had known 
the sensibility and refinement of Clara's mind, she be- 
trayed no horror, uttered no lamentation, and shed no 
tear ! She walked home in silence, and so remains ever 
since. The flash which deprived her friend of life de- 
stroyed her utterance, her hearing, and her speech. It 
destroyed the faculty of mental leeling, the recollection 
of the past, and the elegant once instructive Clara, on my 
introduction to her was a medician Venus, dumb, deaf, 
and inimitably beautiful, though entirely insensible and 
terrifically cold. Her countenance has lost the haj)py fa- 
culty of mental expression, and ha^ a: sumed a frigid, void, 
or a constant shew of vacant astonishment distressing to 
the feeling sj)eclator. In other respects the injury done 
lier senses extends no more, than to the obliteration of all 
anterior actions to her sufferings. She reads, frequents 
society, and expresses herself oii her fin5i,ers, and on pa- 
per with great felicity, and with reference to future, but 
never to past events. The young people of the town oi' 
her acquaintance from a spirit of gallantry and attach- 



AMERICA. 205 

Blent have all learned to converse with her on their fin- 
gers ; with the old and with strangers she is fond of using 
pen and paper. After my introduction, she made signs 
for a sheet of paper, &c. and wrote with uncommon pre- 
cision and rapidit}^ a series of questions, leaving biouks 
for the appropriate answers. I answered the queries which 
were generally common plnce, and she wrote one more, 
which demanded, " I cannot comprehend why a man like 
you can live on waters and in wildernesses. Do tell me, 
what is your motive ?" " To study nature and to obtain 
knowledge," was my reply. She paused for a considera- 
ble time, and again wrote a number of queries which oc- 
cupied a conversation of two hours, and struck some 
bright corruscations from a mind, I am happy to find yet 
lovely, bright, energetic and strong. How strange to 
think that the entire recollection of the past could be ob- 
literated without impairing the sense of the present -ind 
future mode of action and reasoning is a matter of equal 
novelty and importance. A subject too abstruse to dwell 
upon, to your sensibility and intelligence 1 therefore 
commit it. 

There is a good market held twice a week ; the pric^ 
of provisions very nearly the same as at Lexington, and 
at Pittsburg. 



LETTER XXIIL 



Cincinnati — built on the site of an ancient Indian settlement 
— an astonishing curiosity — other antiquities— Jine paint-' 



Cincinnati, State of Ohio, July, 1806. 

TUTS town is situated on the site of an Indian set- 
lement of great extent and antiquity. I had to remark 
in my last letter, that the modern buildings occupied an 
upper and lower level or pluin ; the former Indian ones 
however were solely confined to the highest lawn, at least 
no traces of art have ever been discovered on the bottom 
land next the river, though thev abound on that above it/ 



206 TRAVELS IN 

and are so cons])icuous as to catch the first range of the 
eye. Indeed, there is every reason to suppose that at the 
remote period of the Indian works, the lowest level form- 
ed part of the bed of ihe Ohio. The retreat of the wa- 
ters is at this hour discernable, and the cultivator often 
turns up shells, fossils, and petrefactions of aquatic sub- 
stances, which place the fact beyond contradiction. Some 
of these arc marine productions ! A petrified lobster's 
claw ; a conch shell, and quantities of fine coral, ele- 
gantly wrought and varied by the richest colours ! Sure- 
ly these infer the residence of water at a distant time, and 
also I conceive they infer that that water must have been 
.salt ! If so, what a vast change must the face of nature 
have undergone ! What vicissitudes of climate ! What 
variations of vegetable produce ! What contrast in bulk, 
form, stature, and duration of animal character and life ! 
The upper level possesses none of those marine produc- 
tions, but it has disclosed a curiosity which fills me with 
greater wonder. A gentleman now living close to Cincin- 
nati, on the upper bank, where he built an excellent brick- 
liouse, had occasion for a well, and persevered in digging 
for water, though he met with none at the depth of sixty 
feet ; continuing on, his workmen found themselves at once 
obstructed by a substance which resisted their labour, 
though it evidently was not stone. They cleared the sur- 
face, and soon made it appear to be the stump of a tree 
■which had been cut down with an axe ! The incisions of 
an a^e were perfectly visible, and the chips made by its 
action lay scattered about rts roots ! The slump was three 
feet in diameter and two in perpendicular above its knees. 
It was nearly of the colour and apparent character of 
coal, but divested of the friable and fusible quality of 
that mineral. I have these facts from my very intelligent 
friend Dr. Goforth, and twenty others of honor and vera- 
city, who saw the chips cast out of the well before the 
men broke up the body to which they originally adhered. 
Ihe roots and stump from being turgid, tough, saturated^ 
and in part petrified, took considerable time to remove. 
Ten feet beneath water sprang up, and the well is now in 
constant su[)ply and high repute. After the most industri- 
ous search, I obtained a piece of the stump and an origi- 
nal chip, which I shall preserve with all the devotion be- 
coming tlicir rank as relics of the most undubitable and 



AMERICA. 207 

teTYiote antiquity. It would occupy volumes to submit 
the various speculations which traverse the mind, while it 
indulges in reverie on this wide and multifareous subject. 
Those which strike me the most forcibly are , 

1st. That the tree was undoubtedly antediluvian. 

2nd. That the viver now called the Ohio did not exist 
anterior to the deluge, in as much as the remains of the 
tree were found firmly rooted, in their original position, 
several feet below the bed of that river. 

3xi. That America was peopled before the flood, as ap- 
pears from the action of the axe, and the cutting down of 
the tree. 

4th. Thut the antediluvian Americans were acquainted 
with the use and properties of iron, of the advantage and' 
knowledge of which the Bood deprived their descendants, 
and from which it would appear that the same flood swept; 
off every individual from whom that knowledge might be 
derived. 

I have said in the first page of this letter that the up- 
per town is erected on the immediate site of an old In- 
dian settlement. There is no such thing as forming an 
exact opinion as to its antiquity, though a strong judgment 
may be formed from thei growth of the timber now iu 
bloom, and decay, on many parts of the remaining works. 
Several trees were found six feet in diamter, and some 
nine, hollowed out by the assiduity of time from the sum- 
mit to the base ! The remaining Indian works consist of; 

1. A barrow or funeral pile. 

2. An enclosed or fortified camp. 

3. Mounds. 

The barrow is seated in the centre of the upper and 
lower town on the edge of the upper bank. The princi- 
pal street leading from the water is cut through the bar- 
row, and exposes its strata and remains to every person 
passing by. Children often amuse themselves in under- 
mining the banks, till large (juantities fall down in which 
they search for, and often find arrow points, beads, and 
many other curiosities. 1 made a regular search myself, 
and found the banow constructed precisely after the man- 
ner of that I described to you near the banks of the Mus- 
kingum. The dead repose in double horizontal tiers ; be- 
tween each tier are regular layers of sand, flat surfaced 
stones^ gravel and earth. I counted seven tiers, and might 



208 TRAVELS IN 

have discovered more, but was compelled to desist from 
the annoyance of the multitude gathering about me. — 
Three out of seven skeletons were in great preservation, 
and in a progressive stale of petrefaction. With the dead 
were buried their ornaments, arms and utensils, as ap- 
pears from my having turned up, in less than three hours 
scrutinizing, my hat full of beads, several arrow points, 
two stone hatchets, many pieces of pottery, and a flute 
made of the great bone of the human leg. It is a very- 
curious instrument, with beautifully engraved, or carved 
iigures representing birds, squirrels, and small animals, 
nnd perforated holes in the old German manner. When 
breathed into it emits tones of great melody, but falls 
in quick and lively transitions. The modern Indians were 
found without any instrument of this nature. Such were 
fhe objects I obtained, but I am informed by Doctor Go- 
forth, that when the street was formed through the bar- 
row, that a great variety of interesting and valuable re- 
lics were brought to light ; among which were human 
grinders, which on a moderate calculation bespoke a man 
of four times the size of the modern human race, some 
"brass rings, and an ivory image eminently executed, de- 
noting a female figure in the act of pressing a child to her 
naked bosom. 

Hlaving restored the bones and other substances to the 
barrow and closed up the orifice I had made, I went full of 
anxiety and perturbation, which I could neither stifle or con- 
ceal, from house to house in pursuit of an image, the ma- 
terial character and description ot' which dilfeied so essen- 
tially from any object ever before discovered in the west- 
ern world. I was not so successful in my pursuit as to see 
or procure the image. I obtained, however, some grali'.- 
cation from its history, and a knowledge of the hands in 
which it is placed. It seems that the Catholics availed 
themselves of the image, and made it a testimony of tHe an- 
tiquity of their religion and the extensive range of their 
worship by attempting to prove thereby, that the Indian 
idol was nothing less than a Madonna and C/iild, and that 
the Roman Catholic religion, b) the command of God, was' 
the first which arose in the earliest Christian age of the 
east, and the last which set in the west, where it suff'ered 
extinctions by a second deluge, of which all allow the traces 
evidently appear. The exultation of these enthusiasts spread 



AMERICA. 20g 

the reputation of the '* graven image," far and near, when 
an officer under the general government descending the O- 
hio, obtained it by purchase from the proprietor and sent 
it to INlr. Jetferson, who, no doubt has made a communi- 
cation to the American Philosophical Society, and whose" 
account I have infinite anxiety to hear. 

The account by tradition says, the idol is seven inches 
high, the figure full length, the costume a robe in number- 
less folds, well exoressed, and the hair displayed in many 
ringlets. The OTild naked near the left breast, and the 
mother's eyes bent on it with a strong expression of affec- 
tion and endearment. Thus I give you the facts as they 
came to my knowledge on this extraordinary subject ; they 
are dark and mysterious 1 allow, and yet i cannot cast ou 
them any illumination. 

I next visited the fortified camp which is within five mi- 
nutes walk of the barrow. It lies close to the well from 
the bottom of which the remains of the tree was thrown up. 
Of the camp there is nothing whatever visible but a wall 
forming a true circle, which contains about three acres 
of perfectly level ground. The wall is of earth ; may be 
about seven feet high, and twenty broad at its base. On 
its surface grew several trees, the stumps of which remain^? 
and measure from six to sixteen feet in circumference. The 
gentleman who sunk the well is the proprietor of thecamp,- 
and he has been obliged, for the uniformity of his other 
improvements, to include segments of the great circle in 
his garden and enclosed grounds. This necessity is muclv 
to be lamented, as it obstructs the coup d'ctil of the entire 
v>ork, and predicts in time its complete dissolution. A few 
years ago it was a correct uninterrupted circle of great 
beauty and ornament to the town ; it is now cut and in- 
tersected by walls and fences, but easily made out on look- 
ing them over and following the inclination of the ring. 
There is one remarkable circumstance attending this wall, 
that it has no ditch or dyke on either side; and as it is com- 
posed of materials supposed to be brought from the shore, 
there remains no doubt of its being created with great difli- 
culty, and at the expence of much assiduity and time. 
This, and numerous other fortified camps, also prove that 
the Indians of a former period were not wandering tribes, 
but a people associated under a regular form of govern- 
Hient 5 acquainted with certain laws of nations; and havin*; 
S 2 



21d TRAVELS IN 

bounds to their own, which their camps and strons; holdsi 
shewed a detcrraiuation to value and protect. In the EasC- 
ern States, where land is sterile and poor, ancient tortifi- 
cationsare rarely met with, and there it is probable a wand- 
ering life was preferred to a permanent abode, where ex- 
istence was to be maintained by perpetual industry and la- 
bour. 

The mounds are as far from the camp as the camp is from 
the town. There are two, which are within pistol hhot of 
each other. It appears evident, that the ftrgest of the two 
was erected for a post ol look-out and observation ; at least 
it is so admirably calculated for that purpose, that the A- 
mcricans, during the Indian war, stationed on it a piquet, 
and even levelled about twenty feet of its summit. It stands 
on a plain, is of aspheriodical lorm sixty feet high, and one 
hundred and fifty through its longest horizontal base. I 
am informed by a continental officer who levelled the sum- 
mit by order of general St. Clair, that the view from the 
mound was very extensive when in its primitive state. He 
could see both up and down the river, across the Kentucky 
shore, and all the passes in the mountain in the rear of the 
settlement and camp. He also observed, that the mound 
run nearly to a spheral point, which ciicumstance induced 
General St. Clair to conceive it a barrow of the dead, and 
when the twenty feet were struck oft' the top, he attended, 
to examine the substance, but could discover nothing on 
Hvhich to establish his opinion. However indisputably cal- 
culated it is for a place of observation, I am strongly in- 
clined to meet tiie General in his conception, and to be- 
lieve that the mound was originally intended for the mau- ' 
soleum of a single chief who lies interred immediately un- 
der this stupendous heap. My enquiries have enabled me"^ 
to determine that there v.ere Western nations who honour- 
ed their principal Sachem and warrior with separate se- 
))ulchres placed on the highest grounds ; therefore it can- 
not be rash to consider this the mausoleum of an individu- 
al, and also a place of look-out when necessity and cir- 
cumstances shewed eligible for that intent. 1 he mound 
adjacent to it, and which is less by twenty degrees, and per- 
fectly round, was certainly a sepulchre. It stands in a part 
of the plain which is occupied as a race ground, and the 
btarting-poit rises from its centre. When the post was first 
fcuakp the weikmcn discovered human bones, and aitci: 



AMERIfA. 211 

jnucli examination, traced the remains of one skeleton, and 
no liiore. 

At the back of the town, and near the foot of the hills 
which lie between the plain and back country, are two 
more mounds of an equal size, and about twenty feet high 
from the centre of their base. I explored one minutely, 
by putting a trench from east to west four feet in diame- 
ter. At the depth of ten feet I came to some heavy stones, 
underneath which whs a body of composition resembling 
plaster of Pans. 'I'his broke with great difficulty, and ex- 
posed a few fragments of a human skeleton extended on a, 
bed of a similar nature with the covering. Determined to- 
ascertain whether the monument was erected in memory 
of one person, I broke through the bed, and found under- 
neath a stratum of stones, gravel, and earth nearly to the 
bottom, mixed v/ith bones appertaining to the human frame. 
The few fragments I carefully collected consisted of one 
tibia, two pieces of the thigh bone, and the right upper and 
the left under-javv. Little observation was necessary to 
shew that they were not the fragments of the skeleton of 
an adult ! I'his was a more important fact than 1 expected 
to establish, and though my enquiry into the mound was 
attended with exjjence and trouble, I considered myself 
amply recompensed, by proving in the first instance, that 
niounds in general, are the sepulchres of eminent mdividuals ; 
and in the second, that the nation who erected the mound 
in which the child was buried, was governed by a line of 
hereditary chiefs, as is evident from the nature and distinc- 
tion of the interment of an infant, who certainly could not 
have been an elected chief. That the rc'mains belonged to 
an infant is clear, both from their diminutive size and want 
ot sockets for the cutting-teeth of either jaw. 

Weary of grave-digging bones, and skeletons, I shall say 
hut few words more on the subject, and then fly to some 
ather. I consider mounds as the tumuli of kings and chief- 
tains, and barrows as the sepulchres of the vulgar dead. 
The former were subject to vary in yze according to rank 
of the individual, or the estimatjon in which he was held : 
and the. fatter varied according to the population of the 
nation, and encreased with number of the interred. Mounds 
are spherical figures, and barrows are oblong squares. Un- 
der particular circumstances, mounds have been made to 
answer the purpose of a look-out, and in consequence, are 



2'i^ TRAVELS IN 

often found distant from the camp, and commanding the 
most extensive views ; but barrows, from having never re- 
ceived a varied purpose, are constantly discovered in the 
close vicinity of a town, or adjacent to a fort. There is 
no greater mistake than that which has so long prevailed, 
that barrows have been erected on fields of battle, to cover 
and to distinguish the slain. This opinion arose from the 
circumstance of arrow-points and other war instruments, 
being promiscuously found with the bones. It is now well 
ascertained that such objects and many others, both oB 
ornament and use, were always- interred with the dead to 
whom they appertained ; and the construction of the bar- 
rows, the order, strata, and essential difference in tjje pre- 
servation aiid decay of the skeletons, prove the whole to 
be the progressive work of numerous years, and not the 
hasty production of a people lavishing honours on the slain 
in battle. 

The next relic of antiquity in Cincinati, is a spherical 
stone, found a few years since onthe fall of a large portion- 
of the bank of the river. It is a green stone, twelve inches 
in every diameter, divided into twelve sides, each side into 
twelve equal parts, and each part distinguished by charac- 
teristic engravings. What these engravings represented, 
none of my informers could describe. Some told me they 
were irregular etchings of which nothing could be made^. 
and others effected to see in them the most scientific de- 
sign, embracing a mystery, the clue of which it was im-^ 
possible to find. The fate of this beautiful object so inter- 
esting to science and the history of former times is not to 
be traced with the precision to be desired. It is said, that 
a- stranger enamoured with its characters, procured and 
took it down the river, and that it has since found its way 
to the federal city, and to the cabinet of arts in Philadel- 
phia. 

From the idea I allow myself to form of it, I coiiceive 
the stone to have been formed for astronomical calculati(>n, 
and to convey a knowled^^e of the movements of heavenly 
bodies. When 1 conned this reasonable conjecture with 
the facts of brass circles having been found impres * I with 
figures, known in Euroj^e by the term " Eastern," 1 am- 
again tcmj)ted to believe thi.t a pri^sag(^ was once open be- 
tween this country and the north ot China and ihe Indies. 



} AMERICA. 213 

You may recollect in a former letter from jNIarielta, I 
inentioned the probability of obtaining some furtiier in- 
formation respecting the py rite which I found in artificial 
balls in a fortified camp near the iMuskingum, from Colo- 
nel Ludlow of this place. He is dead — a circumstance 1 
regret the more, as he had the reputation of possessing the 
learning of a scholar and the manners of a gentleman. 
Doctor Goforth, who was his particular friend, tells me, 
that no person was so well versed in the^ ancient history of 
his country, (America) that he sought after subjects ot an- 
tiquity, and data on which to found certain and irrelraga- 
ble conclusions, with great ardour and zeal, and that had 
ie lived, he would have given the world his fund of inter- 
esting research and philosophic enquiries to beat down the 
absurdity and errors it had been so long cultivating and 
acquiring. Accompanied by the Doctor, 1 went to the 
late Colonel's country residence, about five miles from town, 
and had the mortification to find that he had hardly been 
dead before the w^om&n of his household cleared the ktnise of 
his ruhbishj and burned his manuscripts and other uaelc^^ 
papers. 

Much of the collection being thrown promiscuously into 
the yard, my Iriend and 1 commenced a search through 
courts, dung-hiils, stables, swineries, dovecots, &c. &c. and 
had the good fortune to find 

The horns ot a palmated Elk — The strait horns of the 
American Elk — The grinder of a mammoth, weighingseyen 
pounds — and a ball of mineral, weighing twenty pounds. 

The three first objects speak for themselves, the last is a 
ball oil pyrites, which Doctor Goforth remembers the Col- 
onel to have told him he took out of aheap of several hun- 
dred which he discovered near an old Indian settlement on 
the banks of the Little iNIiama of the Ohio, and that he 
had also found another heap in an artificial cave on the 
banks of the Sciota. The Colonel was never heard to ex- 
press an opinion on the rise or utility of the balls to the 
Indians, and the Doctor and myj-elf remained equally in 
the dark, conceiving merely and widely that they were for 
religious, gymnastic or vvailike purposes. The ball we ob- 
tained consisted of copper pyrites, or quartz, and on our 
lelurn to town. Doctor Goforth had the goodness to pre- 
sent me with a very fine i^iece of calcarioius spar with 



21^ TRAVELS W 

sulphurous pyrites from the Lakes, which makes my speci-* 
mei>s more complete and valuable. 

I was about to close this letter from a conviction that f 
had related every thing of interest in the place from which 
it is dated, till my very intelligent friend, the Doctor, told 
me that he was often struck with the beauty of S(une pict- 
ures, the property of an acquaintance in the town, and he 
recommended me strongly to visit them before my depar- 
tuie. 1 went, and to my great surprize found, in the very 
mean apartments of a small frame house, inhabitad by an 
old family descended from English origin, the following 
pictures which I have no doubt are the works of the great 
painters, whose names I have set after the descriptions. 

A Dutch family at a repast — Vandyke. 

Two Flemish landscapes, including sheep, cows, and 
other cattle admirably expressed — VandervcU. 

A monk in the act of private devotion — Anon. 

A nun recluse in her cell — Anon. 

Groupe of dancing boys and female muccecefine — Corr'S" 
§io. 

Two naval views; the stile ancient, the. ships and cos- 
tume Roman. 

'!hese valuable paintings are in excellent preservation, 
being executed on copper and oak, except the group oC 
dancing boys, which is on canvass and much worn,' 



LETTER XXIV. 



An excursion to the country of the Miamis — Lebanon toun 
— Interesting sect of Quakers — continuance of the excur" 

- iion — Horses of the Western country— State of Jarming 
in the neighbourhood. 

Cincinnati, August 1 806. 

AFTER dispatching my last letter to you from hence, 
I went on an excursion through the celebrated country 
called the Miamis, which is a ))ortion of the Ohio State^ 
divided into counties, ranges, and townships, in the man- 
ner of every other place under the adminis^tration of the 



AMERICA. 2J5 

fed(;!ral goveminent. Being acquainted with the lands ad- 
joining the Sciota, and as high up as the Pjckawee Plains, 
J limited my view of the Miajnis to the territory thus bound- 
ed by the Ohio on the south, the mo.untains of the lakes on 
^be north, the Little Miami on the east, and the Great Mi- 
ama and Mad River on the west; and I directed my ex- 
cursion accordingly. — Furnished with good horses tor my^ 
self, and Cuff, and a pack-horse for carrying a small tent 
and provisions, 1 sett off on a north course for a town call- 
ed Lebanon, thirty miles distant, and lying exactly cen- 
tral between the two Miamis. The first five miles were 
hilly, but afforded fine rich intervals for farms, and on a 
creek which I passed, in that distance, were too mills that 
had done much business that season, and had excellent 
Hour on hand, at four dollars per barrel, and Indian corn 
meal for one shilling and sixpence per bushel, of the best 
quality. 

For ten miles further on, the land was broken, heavily 
timbered, and but little cleared. The remaining fifteen 
miles to Lebanon were nearly the best I ever viewed, and 
settled considerably for so new a country. The farms were 
numerous, well improved, and the houses and barns on 
them built with great care and industry. 

Lebanon contains about two hundred inhabitants, dwell- 
ing in about forty neat log and frame houses. A place of 
■worship and school-house are also erected, and the town in 
every respect bids fair to prosper and encrease with unpre- 
cedented success. Seated in the midst of the finest tract 
of land in the world, and that tract already thickly settled 
by a hard^ and industrious people, it cannot fail to succeed, 
if not reduced to a premature ruin by the sudden and vio- 
lent visitations which have trampled under foot the aspir- 
ing hopes of other settlements of the same State. The town 
is not considered unhealthy, nor is the immediate vicinity 
poisoned by ponds or swamps. The inhabitants, though 
i'ew arc composed of several nations, who unite in forming 
a character of a laborious and religious cast. Their indus- 
try is manitest in the extensive improvements and comfort- 
able abodes; all effected within the space of tive years, 
and their religion is displayed in the fashion of their hats 
and cloaths, but more respectably in their decent and 
moral conduct. One sect has made itself so conspicuous, 
t^at I cannot pass it over in silence* 



215' TRAVELS 11^ 

A number of families, several years ago, withdrew from 
the quakers in the Eastern States, in whose tenets they had 
been bred and instructed, andlolhwed a w(/nian, Jemima 
Wilkinson, whom they accepted as their religions leader, into 
the Genessee country, soon after its establishment by Sir 
William Pulteney. Disgusted with the Immoral conduct 
of that woman, several of the principals apostatized a SC' 
cond time, returned to the great towns of the State, pro- 
mulgated an entirely novel system of religion, recruited 
their numbers and repaired to the Western country, where 
they purchased conjointly the fine and extenstve tract of 
land on which Lebanon now stands. This purchase they 
vested in the ha»ids of an individual who holds it in trust, 
and ior the use ol " the poor and humble followers of the 
Lord." The grand tenet of the society being the renunci" 
ation of worldly wealth ; the total abandonment of riches, 
and the strict and rigid adherence to the doctrine of '* take 
up thq cross and follow me." In consequence, the indivi- 
duals of the sect hold nothing as their own, not even the 
fruit of their labor; every dollar not required by their ne- 
cessary wants is turned over to the person holding the land 
in trust wh , is their Treasurer aiul High-Priest, and in 
whom every thing is vested as for tlie service of the Lord, 
As their present High-Priest has been the principal author 
of the system, 1 will give you his proceedings in the literal 
way thev o( cnried since his coming into the Western coun- 
try, -froiij which you can learn a correct idea of so singular 
a society. 

On the completion of the purchase he had the whole 
sUTvey<*d and located into sections of six hundred and forty 
acres, and into half and quarter sections for the use of 
small families. He then ordered his flock to assemble be- 
yond the boundfiiy of the purchase, where they formally 
abjured all worldly wt'alth, and lit<?rally taking up crosses 
prepared for the puipose followed their leader to the par- 
ticular sections he had marked for their respective use. The 
unappropriated sections he (lis])ose(l of to persons joining the 
society, by receiving in trust for the hordixW iheir wealth, iind 
by giving them the use of land in proportion to the sacrifice. 
None of his followers are allowed to live in towns. He 
settled Lebanon with mechanics and tradesmen for the 
accommodation of the society, but not as a residence for 
any of its members. The produce of the sale of town lots, 
and the profits on all farms he receives into his trcasur/ 



AMtniCA. 217 

for the use of the contrite in heart, the meek and lowly 
followers of the Lord ; and that money he disposes of, ac- 
cording to the primitive regulations of the society in this 
manner. 

lie maintains teachers for the instruction of both sexes, 
-lie provides them on their marriage with a house, farm, 
implements of husbandry, cattle, and stock of all kinds, to 
be held by them in trust for similar benefits to be conferr- 
ed on their children and those of others. He maintains 
-the sick and supports the needy, and sees that there is no 
want in the land. His province also extends to the ad- 
^ninistration of justice, and to the settlement of all private 
differences without the intjerference of the public law. 

What a strange association ! How wild in theory and ab- 
surd in practice ! must be the cry of every person endow- 
ed with sense. To renounce property and still to retain 
the advantages of riches ; to give up all and still t& be 
placed beyond the apprehensions of want ; toabandon chil- 
dren to the care of providence, and still to find them se- 
cured both in instruction and wealth; to lay by nc'thing 
against casualties and sickness, and yet to know there is 
<^ver aid at hand, are paradoxes which must stagger the 
jnind and reduce it to a state of confusion and unbelief. 
Astonishing as it may appear, the facts admit of no para- 
dox ; experience banishes the necessity even of a philo.^O'- 
phic doubt. The society is flourishing to the highest a- 
gree ! public and individual happiness every where a- 
bound ; want, misery, and ignorance, are entirely unknown, 
and the treasury of the High-Priest overflows. Such is 
the actual state of the society ! 

They have no particular place of worship. Tlicir law " 
is that God resides and is to be worshipped every where.. 
In order that two or three may be gathered together, they 
associate according to the situation and convenience of 
a few families, and receive instruction from whoever pre- 
sent is able and willing to give it. Like the sect near 
Pittsburg, they atTect the style of little children, and often 
sit and play on the ground. From this religious exercise 
they have acquired the name of S/ia/.crs and TrcmhlerSy 
which they allow to be a. vulgar term of derision, in lieu 
of tlK.'ir ovvji title, which is no more than the simple one o(r 
The childir/i. And where that term might im|)ly infants 
in fact; they add Children ol the Lord. Their High-Piic?t 



CI 8 TRAVELS IN 

Hipy call their Leader ; he is elected for one year, or dur* 
iiig pleasure ; and is eligible to be re-elected tiom year to 
year ; he has the assistance of two persons, the one as an 
acconiptant, and the other as an itinerant, whose duty 
consists in visiting every settlement, and exairining into 
the conduct, moral and economical, of each individual 
member, which conduct he reports to his superior, and he, 
on dissatisfaction, convenes a meeting of the Society, whose 
vote excludes any person from ther sect against whom 
profanity, idleness, or any sj)ecies of vice is proved. This 
vote also excludes the branded person from all participa- 
tion in the goods ol the Lord ; and exposes him to the 
forfeiture of all the funds he might have given their Leader 
to be at the Lord's disposal. This one law has more force 
in its operation than all the volumes of penal law now ex- 
tant. J t exercises a complcat dominion over religion and 
morality, and makes it the decided interest ot every person 
of the sect to pursue an unblemished and industrious life. 
In summer, I should have observed, they meet their Lead- 
er on Sundays in some open space shaded by trees, and 
as they bring provisions and remain long on the ground, 
the day is spent in the manner of a religious feast. 

On leaving Lebanon, I took the Chilicothe road, if that 
can be called a road which is no more than a path through 
a wood, the trees marked with an axe to indicate the di- 
rection. 1 he first seven or eight miles from Lebanon con- 
sisted of remarkably fine wood land, checquered with im- 
})rovements made by " The Children \' the remainder of 
my day's journey, seventeen miles, to the borders of the 
Litlc iNliami, was for the most part through a forest swamp 
swarming with snakes and insects, and emitting a sickening 
and nauseous stench. The soil was deep and black, and 
cast up flowers of extreme richness and beauty considera- 
bly above my horse's head. ^^ hen population encreases, 
this swamp will afford the most productive larms ni the 
State. It can be purged and sweetened with very little 
labour, as it is intersected by crtcks and streams in every 
direction, and needs nothing more than clearing otl the 
heavy limber to give access to wind and sun, and torming 
drains of communication with the creeks and streams 
which in thtir turn communicate v/ith the two JNiiamis and 
the Ohio ri\er. 



AMERICA. sig 

The road is so miry and deep, that I found it impossible- 
to travel above two miles an hour. It was sun-set when I 
arrived at the Little Miami, on the banks ot' which, and 
on a line open spot to which the air had access, 1 encamp- 
ed for the night. 

As night advanced, the noise of vermin, reptiles, and 
insects was so great, particularly the clamour of the great 
bull-frog, that I felt very little disposition to lie down, 
though the labour of the day had considerably fatigued 
mc. The uproar which proceeded Irom the swamp through 
which I had that day travelled, is undescribable. Tho 
Toices were too discordant, too numerous, varied and mix- 
ed, to submit to verbal description. Let it suffice, that 
the din was horrid and unceasing, and so loudy that it ob- 
structed conversation, and appeared to defy the langour of 
lassitude to the strong dominion ot an oppressive sleep. 
Nature, however, becoming more faint, I got some repobc/ 
and lay on a tent of dry leaves till near day light. 

I was not a little surprised to hear immediately on wa- 
king, and before there was any strength of dawn, both 
the warble and the song of the nightingale. I supposed it 
to proceed from the Virginia red bird, or from the mocking 
bird, but on attention to the voice minutely and attentively, 
I found It express more judgment and skill than I ever 
knew such birds to exercise, and to have all the variation 
and compass of the real nightingale I must believe that 
it was the mocking bird commencing with his own native 
powers and natural song before he stooped to copy the 
less exquisite airs of others. He began with a low and 
timid voice, and prepared for the hymns to nature, by es- 
saying his powers and attuning his organs ; by degrees the 
sound opened and swelled ; burst it into vivid flashes ; 
flowed with smooth volubility ; sunk into murmers, and 
shook with rapid and violent articulations, pouring thesolt 
breathings of love, gratitude or joy from its inmost soul. 
For fear such continued richness might satiate the ear, the 
strains were, at intervals, relieved by powers, which shed 
elevation and dignity through the song, 

It is not a little singular too, that like the nightingale 
this facinating bird chooses the silent hour of night for his 
chaunt, which heightens the general effect, and hinders 
any rival or any noise from disturbing the charming and 
solemn scene, 1 could not discover the songster ; his 



€29 TRAVELS IN 

notes reached me from the opposite side of the strearo. 
The day soon after appeared, and I pursued my journey, 
after having given the horses a few ears of corn, which 
were carried on the pack horse for that purpose. 

I must stop to observe a great singularity in the char- 
acter of the horse of the Western country. However wild 
Jie may be at his home, and when turned hito enclosed 
pastures, he never wanders from, or quits his rider in the 
Avoods. He will graze about, and pick up shrubs and pro- 
vender from the roots of trees, but never lose sight of his 
eamp or the cheering light of its fire. He too is sensible 
®f fear and protection : he trembles in the gloom of the 
broods, and on the most distant howl of the wolf, ap- 
proaches the fire, and often draws up and looks into the 
tent of his master ! 

Determined not to penetrate the woods till the sun had 
the power of exhalation, I rode along the river bank, which 
,i found extremely rich and beautiful. The shrubs and 
flowers grew to a great size ; and, for the first time since 
my arrival in the country, I met with the MagnioUa Altis- 
sima, which I considered a testimony of a change of soil 
and climate, as it requires both of a very prolific nature. 
J laving rode about two hours, the country began to open, 
and I passed several well-improved plantations ; fields 
teeming with an abundant harvest ; houses neatly built^ 
and cattle and stock of an excellent quality grazing in 
large meadows, the hay of which had been long carried 
oft' the ground. I rode up to a cheerful looking farm-house, 
and met with a very hearty reception from its proprietor, 
an Knglishman, who came into the Miamis on the strength 
of their high reputation and his dislike to the Eastern 
States, where he had first settled. During a breakfast., 
])rolonged by a most interesting coaversation, I learned 
Jrom I\lr. Digby (sO was he called) that the best he could 
do in the Western country, or that any farmer could do, 
•il'as just not to starve. The price of produce was so low 
and that of labour so high, that very little profit attended 
the most laborious exertions of industry. Indian corn, in 
particular, carried a value so mean, that he never offered 
to sell it, and for his wheat, he made it into flour, he could 
get but about three dollars per barrel, and even that had, 
for the most part, to be taken in goods for which he had 
not always consumption or use. In consequence, he was 



AMERICA. 221 

about to abandon a system so little advantageous, and take 
to grazing cattle, breeding hogs, and rearing horses, tor 
distant markets and foreign use, where money was to be 
obtained, and profit equal to the extent and importance of 
the business. He had always reaped the benefit of ihi^i 
plan, having sent his son in the spring of the year with a 
boat carrying two hundred live hogs to New Orleans, where 
they sold all round at the rate of twelve dollars per cwt. 
though they cost him nothing but the expence of the voy- 
age and some small attendance in the woods, where they 
breed and maintain themselves all the year round. 

Before the winter, Mr. Oigby proposes taking a drove of 
cattle and horses over the mountains, to the great Eastern 
marts of Baltimore and Philadelphia. 

Thus, from the nature of the country, and the tyranny 
of circumstances, we find an industrious intelligent, active 
man, abandons a heavy course of agriculture, and turn hi*- 
views to a system of farming, from which immense wealth 
is to be derived, though his nearest market, Baltimore, is at 
the distance of eleven hundred miles ; and new Orleans 
from sixteen to seventen hundred ! 

He did not consider the spot he was on unhealthy, but 
there vvere swamps in the rear of his plantation which 
emitted infectious smells, and caused a nousea when he had 
occasion to remain in or near them. His fine meadows 
were vv'ood-swamps till he cleared off the trees and drained 
tliem into creeks communicating with the low country and 
with the river. He finds no other fault with the land than 
that it is too rich — forcing ev; ry thing into a stalk like tim- 
ber, and making the hay so course, that hj often destroys 
the first growth ; and only saves the after-grass when a 
foot high or under. The Indian- corn produces one hun- 
dred bushels per acre, and grows on a stem of such strength^, 
that cattle, when it spreads its tossel, and has shed and re-' 
ceived its farinacious impregnation, are allowed to rove 
among it without being capable of rendering it any injury. 
The land mubt be weakened and reduced by successive 
and heavy crops of corn, before it be fit for wheat. Put 
into unreduced land, wheat rambles ten or twelve feet 
high, and bears little fiuit. Fifty and sixty bushels to an 
acre is a commo.i crop ! Vegetables succeed remarkable 
well, and fruit-trees bear at limes in too great profusion, 
and at other times do not bear at all. The dept cf the 
S 2 



^^^ TRAVELS IN 

soil was neverascertained. Where drains were made twelve 
feet deep, nothing but a rich black mould appeared— a 
compost of decayed vegetable substance, accumulating 
some ihousand years ! 

Furnished with this information, and refreshed M'ith a 
good breakfast, I took leave of Mr. D. and pursued my 
journey, the particulars of which you will have in my 



LETTER XXV. 



a 1/ton foxvn, its Jinc situation — A snake or snapping tor^ 
toise — Timber of this country — The sugar maple — An In' 
(lian Ca?pp. 

Ginclnnati, August, 1306. 

On leaving P>Ir. Digby's, I continued my journey up 
the Lutle Miami for about ten miles, when I arrived at 
.«>ome hilly and broken land, which deterred me from pur-^ 
«uing a northern route any longer, especially as I under* 
vtood that the ground held similar features as high up a* 
the I'ickawee Plains, and other prairies with the locality 
and nature of which I was previously acquainted. Accord- 
ingly I bent a west by riorth course by compass, which I 
judged would strike the Great Miami near Dayton, a small 
town lately built on the confluence of that and the INIad 
Jliver. The distance Irom the Littfe Miami, from whence 
3 turned to that part of the Great Miami, lor which I 
made, I conjectured to be between jorty-five and sixty 
miles, 'J he surface in the first instance, swelled into 
hUU, and sunk into dales of great fertility and richness, 
and was much more sound and less noxious than that I 
rraversed the preceding day. One particular part con- 
tained a greater variety of advantages and beauty than I 
ever beheld embraced in the same compass. 

Entering an opening between the feet of two bill*, 
through which rushed a rapid transparent stream, I had a 
view of a circular piece of ground so thinly wooded, that 
the hilJ l>y which it was girt was distinctly seen crowned 



AMERICA. 2^h 

with sumptuous trees, representing a fine amphitheatre, 
which met the eye in every direction around. The water 
was visible in many places, and traversed the plain nume- 
rous times in search of the sortie through which I entered, 
and through which it dtished with as much exulting vio- 
lence as if sensible of the liberty it regained. It entered 
the plain from tho north west, in which situation it possess- 
ed several falls of suflficient power for any over-shot and 
grist mills. This advantage connected with a variety of 
others, renders the spot the most eligible imaginable for all 
the purposes of rural economy and contracted desires of 
primitive lite. The plain contains perhaps twelve hundred 
acres ; the land could easily be cleared, the soil a rich 
black mould, could be cultivated with little labour; from 
the facility of being drained no offensive vapours could 
arise and a house seated in the declivity of the hill Irom 
which the stream descended in quick and rapid falls, could 
command an uninterrupted view of an abundant and en- 
chanting prospect. 

From the thin state and growth of the wood, there re- 
mained no doubt of the plain having been formerly under 
cultivation. No traces of Indian settlements notwithstand- 
ing appeared. I journeyed on lor the remainder of the 
day through a wilderness of melancholy gloom and end- 
less extent, 

I stopped to refresh at a fine creek and while my travell- 
ing and faithful companifui was occupied in making afire, 
I took my gun to range for something for dinner, I had" 
not advanced twenty yards before my dog barked with con- 
siderable irritation, and ran round an object which on a 
nearer approach I discovered to be a snake-tortoise. He 
was as large as a turtle of sixty pounds weight, and in dis- 
position appeared to be excessively fierce and mischievous. 
^Vhenever he snapt at the dog, which he frequently did 
with great premeditation and venom, his jaws fell together 
with much violence and noise. Well convinced that Cuflr 
was acquainted with the natural history of the animal, and 
all his various attributes, I called him up and took the dog 
off, feartul every moment of his losing his life in so une- 
qual a conflict. I was perfectly right in my conjecture ; 
the Mandanean knew all his habits. While exposed to the 
dog the creature never presented a vulnerable part; noth- 
ing was t© be seen but a strong coat of mail, into which he 



2^4t l^RAVELS IN 

drew his head and legs till prepared to bite, when he pro- 
longated his jaws, or rather neclt, which appeared to have 
great agility, and snapt with a clangour to be heard one 
hundred yards round. But when the man came up and 
placed on his back. a large flat stone, he exposed his head 
and feet, and began to move towards the water with more 
rapidity than I presumed attributable to his nature, or con- 
sistent with his magnitude and form. On turning him from 
the water he seized the stick I made use of in his mouth, 
and retained his hold, though the man and 1 raised him 
from the ground in our efforts to disengage it. It appear- 
ed that nothing but fire could induce him to move or to 
quit his hold. 1 held a fire-brand near his back, and not- 
Avithstandmg the extraordinary thickness of the shell, his 
sensibility took an immediate alarm, and he again advanc- 
ed with much speed and precipitate action. The Indians 
call this by a name -which implies the snapping tortoise, 
from its remaining perfectly tranquil till the object is with- 
in its reach, on which it makes one sudden snap and sinks 
under water. The weight which the one that was the im- 
mediate subject of my investigation carried on his back, 
was inconceivably great, and still he moved without any 
apparent embarrassment or difficulty. To turn him on 
his back was very arduous. He resisted with great power 
and strong manitestations of despair and passion : turning 
and snapping at the stick whenever he found it acting as 
a lever upon him. After being upset he made no further 
resistance, and died without much struggle. The body 
was very plump and fine; — I cut from it several steaks, 
and enjoyed a dinner of exquisite richness and flavour. 
Buring the repast I was entertained by the chattering of a 
flock of panxpiets, svho had taken up their abode in th# 
trees around me There were the g«'een and the red neck, 
that very particular species which are held the most rare in 
Europe, and which were once highly valued by the Greeks 
and Romans. 

Perfectly refreshed, I again pursued my journey towards 
the Great iMiami, and travelled for four hours over the 
finest tract of wood land I ever beheld. It was nearly a 
level, but healthy and dry, in consequence of being inter- 
sected by a number .of rapid little .■^tiw-ims, which carried 
off rains, and left no ponds for the creation of noxious and 



AMERICA. 2|p 

putrissent matter. The soil was deep and black, and the 
following timber grew in great magnitude, beauty^ and 
abundance : — 

Maple • Aspin 

Sycamore I Chesnut Oak 

Black Mulberry ! Butter Nut 

White ditto ; Cliesnut 

Black Walnut- I Hickory, three species 

White ditto ', Cherry 

White Oak I Buckwood,or llorseChcsnut 

Black ditto ; Honey Locust 

Bed ditto * Elm, two species 

Spanish ditto I Cucumber Tree 

lynn Tree I Sassafras 

Gum Tree * Crab Apple Tree 

Iron Wood ; Papaw 

Ash, three species I Plum Tree, several kinds- 

Besides these there were nine species of bark, sj^ice, and 
leather wood bushes ; the judas tree, the dog wood, and 
many others whose names and properties I had not capa- 
city to ascertain. The land in every direction produced 
vast quantities of grapes of various sorts, and cotton, grow- 
ing in great perfection, shewed itself to be the natural 
production of the country. The sugar maple is the most 
valuable tree for an inland state. One tree can yield a- 
bout ten pounds of sugar a year, and the labour is very 
' trifling. The sap, which is extracted about February and 
iMarch, is received in a vessel placed at the foot of a tree, 
under an incision made tor the purpose, and into whicK 
apiece of cane is inserted, and through which the sap, on 
a warm day after a frosty night, otten flows in a continued 
stream fo» several hours. The collected sap of several 
trees tapped on the same day, is granulated, by the simple 
operation of boiling, to a sugar very near equal in flavour 
and whiteness to the best Muscovado. 

This valuable tree, like every other valuable gift of na- 
ture to this western world is hastening to dissolution and 
decline. In the spring of the year sugar camps extend 
through the whole country ; and the persons employed 
give the trees such great and unnecessary wounds that their 
whole virtue ryns out, and they perish perhaps in a seasoii. 



Sie TOAVELS^ IN 

So violent has been the prodigality of the people of Ken- 
tucky, that they have nearly annihilated the maple aiio-' 
gether, by hacking the trees with an axe and never closing 
the wounds from which they drew the sap, though they 
well knew that the timber would peri.sh from such treat- 
ment. Persons of better regulated minds, tap the trees 
^irh an aui^ur, insert a cane, draw off the liqut)r, and then 
stop up the fl()wing and the wound, by whicli means the 
trees r<?cover their vigour, and atford fresh supplies from 
three to twelve years. 

I soon came up to a small Indian camp of three tents, 
and a fire already prepared. I alighted, and advanced 
with affability and contidcncc to the oldest man of the par- 
ty, who gave me his hand with much courtesy, and after- 
wards offered me his pipe with an expression of great kind- 
ness. 1 received it as the calumet of peace, and entered- 
into an alliance of friendship, the violation of which, oiv 
either side, according to the Indian's own rule, '* would 
be deserving the wrath of the Good Spirit, and the imme- 
diate punishment of Heaven." 

Having taken into such excellent company, I resolved 
to remain among them for the night, and, with permission, 
I pitched my tent and made my lire immediately in the vi- 
cinity of the spring which the Indians Imd chosen for their 
camp. I soon discovered that the party I fell in with was 
a family of the l^Iingoes — a nation formerly powerful, in- 
habiting the banks of the Sciota, and now attached to that 
river, though reduced to the small number of forty-five! 
The family consisted of a father, a married sonand daugh- 
ter and live of their children, one of which was at the 
breast, and another but three years old. They manifested 
no manner of surprise on my arrival, and expressed no cu- 
riosity at the bight of the objects with which I was furnish- 
ed, though they dift'ered so entirely from any they had 
ever before beheld. Nor was I asked from whence I came; 
At hither I was going; or, any other question whatever, 
'i'his little appetite to curiosity has exposed almost all In- 
dian nations to the charge of stuj)idity and insipience of 
character. Never was charge more ill founded and un- 
just. Their apparent want of curiosity is the result of 
iiabit growing out of maxims, and the first instructions of 
tueir youth — which tend to suppress idle enquiries. 



AMERICA, 22r 

After a very interesting conversation with Onamo, the 
head, I retired to rest, and reposed with the utmost peace, 
security, and confidence. 



LETTER XXVr. 



Dayton — A rich and fine country — Trees, &Iiruhs, and Hol- 
ers — Humming Birds — Mad Hirer — situation of the in-- 
habitants on its banks — The Great Miami — Hamilton 
tx)wn, 

Cincinnati, August, 1806. 

NEXT morning after passing through a delightful 
range of country, I reached the town of Dayton, which 
is composed of about forty houses, standing on a point of 
land formed by the junction of the Mad and the Great 
Miami Rivers. I put up at an excellent inn, kept by a 
Dutch family, whom I found well disposed and assiduous 
in business. The site of the town is more favourable to 
commerce than to health. On the rise of the Miami, the 
waters of the Mad River are subject to back and to inun- 
date its bank in the vicinity of the town, and consequently 
to spread the seeds of j)estilence and fever, ihe inhabi- 
tants principally Dutch and Irish, had lost the florid fea- 
ture of their own country, and the children looked pale, 
ematiated and languid. These unfavourable appearances 
are entirely to be attributed to the local cause I have men- 
tioned — for the inhabitants of high prairies, or meadows, 
and of other parts distant from the inundations look per- 
fectly cheerful and as fresh and high complexioned as can 
be expected in persons, who, for nine months in the year, 
are in a constant state of copious perspiratioi], owing as 
well to the excessive heat of the sun as to the perpetual 
toil imposed by necessity on all new settlers. 

The principal stream of em.igration has for a few years 
flowed towards the Mad River. After a variety of lolly, 
disappointment, and error, the unfortunate and the per- 
turbed in siprit, have at length lound and fixed upon a 
truly rich and distinguished abode. I rode tony miles up 
the right bank and returned on the leit to Dayton ; and 



228 TRAVELS IN 

must candidly confess, I never beheld a tract of land so 
favoured by nature, and so succeptible of improvement by 
art. Nearly the whole tract is a chain of prairies par- 
tially obscured from each other by groves of magnificent 
trees, and shrubberies diffusing every species of perfume, 
and exhibiting the bloom and radiance of every flower. 
Among the trees the splendid magnolaand tulip are found, 
and among the shrubs are seen, the althea, arbutus, hon- 
ey-locust, and various other aromatics. The uncultivated 
portions of the prairies abound in flowers of such luxuri- 
ance and iieight, that in riding through, it is often ne- 
cessary to turn them from the face with the whip ; and the 
general herbage, plants, and flowers, rise to the saddle 
skirts. The most conspicuous flowers were, the geranium^ 
holy-oak, and passion-flower, to which the sweet pea and 
many blossoming creepers ran up and closely adhered. 
These prairies were formerly the favourite resort of bufla- 
loes, but the wanton carnage committed among their 
<iroves, has made them retreat and pass indignant to less 
savage lands. Some few herds of deer still linger in their 
favourite haunt, and at this season browse in safety un- 
der the protection of the pasture which effectually covere 
ihem from sight. The little humming birds alone retain 
their empire over the flowery waste ; like bees, they fly 
from blossom to blossom, nor heed the traveller who stops 
to admire their burnished plumage and diminutive struc- 
ture, displaying in their nature the utmost harmony io 
expression, and the greatest chastity in taste. At the mo- 
ment they insert their bill into a blossom, and hum with 
delight and strong manifestations of passion, there is no 
difficulty in catching them ; but the common practice is 
to shoot them with sand through a trunk gun. They sel- 
dom, however, survive ; I met but one instance where they 
brooked the harsh confinement of the cage. In that in- 
iytancc a French lady had several ; she fed them with ho- 
i-ey impregnated with scents, lodged in a sponge covered 
with lace, and disguised in forms and colours which imi- 
tated the buds and flowers on which she perceived them, 
in a state of nature most partial to dwell. The litlte crea-^ 
lures repaid her kindness by the most afTecting endear- 
ments. On freeing them from the cage they generally roved 
round her for several turns, and then fondly clustered ii> 
h«r extended hnnd or breast, in which she comjjionly put 



AMERICA. 2J9 

seme inviting sweets or tempting flowers. She had kept 
them for fifteen months, during which time they had shewn 
no disposition to become dull or torpid, though some nat- 
uralists alledge, that during the winter season they remain, 
so, suspending themselves by the bill to the bark of a tree; 
and are awakened into life from that state when the flow- 
ers begin to blow, and nature herself assumes the greatest 
degree of beauty and bloom. There is one fact of more 
importance, which their existence in particular places pro- 
claims, that is the fertility cf the soil and the salubrity of 
the climate. They never inhabit swamps or countries ex- 
jposed to a severity of season. Therefore, in fixing in the 
Western world, I know no better guide than the humming 
bird, who is sure to direct to a sound soil, a short winter,, 
and a long delightful spring. 

The Mad River, which meanders through this tract of 
country, is remarkable for the fine quality of the water 
and the great purity of the stream. It received its name 
in consequence of its perpetual impetuosity, it being the 
only river in the Western country which does not subside 
in the silmmer and fall of the year. All the other rivers 
owe their great periodical volume to the effusion of ice and 
mountain snows, whereas, the Mad River issues out of 
Lake Huron, which affords it an equal supply without va- 
riation or end. U abounds with fish, and is so transparent, 
that they are driven with great facility into nets and snares ; 
ARd arc besides, often speared. 

The banks of the river are settling with unparalelled 
success, and the title of all the adjacent lands is already 
bought up from Congress by individuals and by specula- 
tors, who propose selling again at an advanced price. 
Most of the prairie-grounds are now as high as from twenty 
to fifty dollars per acre, and the wood-land adjoining the 
river, sells at from five to sixteen dollars per acre. I vis- 
ited at least one hundred farms, and found the inhabitants 
in the possession of abundance of every common necessary, 
and evtry absolute comfort essential to a modest and un- 
assuming life. Nor does their situation or temptations 
suggest any desires but what may be gratified by the hum- 
ble means within their reach. There appeared no manner 
of discontent among them, and no material difference of 
rank or fortune to excite it. You who have been always 
as^tistonied t« the refiiicmc<it oi luxurv» will scarce be 



230 TRAVELS IN 

able to conceive how these settlers, with no other clothing 
than coarse home-made apparel, v/ith no other shelter but 
a log house constructed with the rudest art, and with no 
food but of the coarsest kind, and destitute of coffee, tea, 
wine, and foreign spirits, can enjoy any happiness ; and 
yet as I observed, to judge from their manners, language, 
and external appearance, their state may he envied by the 
wealthy of the most refined nations, because their forgets* 
fulness or ignorance of extravagant desires and vicious 
pursuits, excludes every wish beyond their present situa- 
tion, and leaves them virtuous and happy. They are 
composed of all nations, and live as yet in a kind of native 
freedom and independence ; in a kind of equality of rank 
which banishes all distinctions but those of age and merit — 
for the old controul the parochial administration, and the 
learned govern the legal and ecclesiastical. However, fis 
population encreases, and as towns and villages abound, 
vice, which appears the propensity of man will erect its 
power and call for the infiuence of the general regulations 
of the Stase, and destroy the innocent and primitive char- 
acters which now distinguish the republic of the Mad Ri- 
ver. Nothing in truth can be more primitive. Justice 
is administered with decency, but no form ; in the open 
air and on Sunday the people gather together in appointed 
groves, and silently attend to any person endowed with the 
grace and talent of instruction. 

On returning to Cincinnati, I pursued the Miami to the 
tov/n of Hamilton for forty miles. 

The Great Miami is a very fine river, uninterrupted by 
falls. Its navigation, as well as that of the Scioto and Mus- 
kingum, approaches very near to the navigable waters of 
the Lakes ; and like them, the banks towards the source 
is furnished with springs, coal mines, white and blue clay, 
and various mctalic and mineral productions. It is about 
two hundred yards wide at its. mouth, and is reduced to 
thirty at the Pickawec towns nothwithstanding which, it is 
navigable fifty miles higher up. The portage from its 
western branch into the Miami of the Lake Erie, is five 
miles ; that from its eastern bra:nch into Sandusky River, 
is nine miles. 

P'rom Dayton to Hamilton there is an excellent beateit 
public road, the borders of which arc sprinkled with set- 
'laments, and neat improved farms. The forest trees and 



AMERICA. 23i 

lands were of a very superior quality. Hamilton was a 
fort and garrison during the Indian war ; it is now a smart 
little town on the banks of the Miami, and docs consider- 
able business, in collecting the produce of the settlers of 
the back country, and giving in return goods of every de- 
scription, furnished by the merchants of Cincinnati. Ham- 
ilton being but thirty miles from this, I reached it in 
another day's ride, and met with no occurrence wor^h 
remark i no;. 



LETTER XXVTL 



Judge Sy?7ime*s residence — an elegant maimon in a cfiarmhg 
situation — Ms family, SfC. — Indian territory — Big-bone 
hick — Granfs Lick, its excellent salt — Nitre, caves and 
kills — Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky — Kentucky Ri- 
'ver — its magnificent banks — Aiitiquities — Louisville — 
Fassage of the Falls — A terrifc scene. 

Louisville, Falls ©f the Ohioj Lat. 38. 8 N. Aug. 18O6. 
I LEFT Cincinnati with an impression very favoura*- 
ble to its inhabitants, and with a higher opinion of its 
hack country than 1 entertain of any other. Seven miles 
below my departure, at a place called the North Bend, 1 
stopped to take breakfast with the hospitable Judge Symmes, 
the original proprietor, after the extinction of the Indian 
title, of the whole of the country lying between the two 
Miamis. The situation which the Judge has chosen for 
his residence, cannot be equalled for the variety and ele- 
gance of its prospects. Improved farms, villages, scats^ 
and tlie remains of ancient and modern military works, 
decorate the banks of the tine^st piece of water in the world, 
and present themselves to view from the principal apart- 
ments of the house, which is a noble stone mansion, erect- 
ed at great expence, and on a plan which does iMfinite 
honour to the artist, and to the taste of the proprietor. 
Differing from other settlers, Mr. Symmes has been studi- 
ous to give the river-sides a pastoral effect, by preserving, 
woods, planting orchards, aiid divcrsiiying these with ccnv 



^:i2 TRAVELS IN 

^ekis, slopeing pastures, and everj other effect incidental 
both to an improved and rural lile. From this expression 
of elevated judgment, you may be prepared to know that- 
the proprietor formerly resided in England, and after in 
New York, where he married his present wife, a lady dis- 
tinguished by elegance of mind and a general and correct 
informati(}[>. They have no children, but there resides wrth 
them a Miss Livingston, on whom they iix their atfeetions ; 
and whom they treat with parental kindness and respectful 
"urbanity, the one being due to her intrinsic merit, and the 
other to her family, which is eminent lor birth, property, 
and talent, in the State of New York. 

Tlie judge passes his time in directing his various works, 
and the ladies read, walk, and attend to numerous birds 
and animals, which they domesticate, both for entertain- 
ment and use. INIissL. is muciiof a botanist — a practical 
fewie. She collects seeds from such plants and tlowers as 
are most conspicuous in the prairies, and cultivates them 
with care, on the banks, and in the vicinity of the house. 
She is forming a shrubbery also, which will be entirely 
composed of magnolia, catalpa, papaw, rose and tulip 
trees, and all others distinguished for blossom and frag- 
rarice. In the middle is erected a small Indian temple, 
where this young lady preserves seeds and plants, and 
classes specimens of wood which contribute much to hcf 
knowledge and entertainment. When the beauties of the 
line season fade, and the counN^ becomes somewhat inert 
and insipid, the judge and the ladies remove to Cincinnati, 
and revolve in its pleasures till fatigued ; when th^y again 
return to their rural economy, and to the prosecution of 
Imppy and inorlensive designs. I could with great difficulty 
tear mysclt fr.»m persons so amiable. 

F.ouiteen miles from the North Bend, and twenty-one 
from Cincinnati, I passed the mouth of the great Miami ; 
on the right hand shore from it is the Western boundary 
of the Ohio S ate, and the Eastern commencement of the 
Indian territory, which, in a short time, and with the in- 
crease of population, will receive the title of a State and 
becdBfe the brightest star in the galaxy of the Union. The 
land is for a great part richly wooded, fertile, and appli- 
cable to all the purposes of agriculture and extensive and 
pre luctive improvement. 'I'he territory is upwards of six 
liundred miles scjuare, and is thirs copiously watered : -on 



AMERICA-. ^^ 

tlie north by the Lake§ ; on the south by the Ohio ; and 
on the west by the Mississippi. Through it also runs, 
generally in a south course, the Wabash, the Illinois, and 
Variety of creeks and streams. 

Knowing of no obstacles in fhe river, and finding it to 
encrease in grandeur and safety, I ctetermined on floating 
all night. I met with no alarms or accident, and arrived 
in the morning early at the Big Bone Lick, thirty-two miles 
from the Miami. 

The salt spring iS very weak at the Big Bone Lick. One 
thousand gallons of water yield but a bushel of salt. A- 
bout twenty miles back of the Big Bone, is Grant's Lick^ 
one hundred gallons of which make a bushel of salt of a 
Very strong and fine quality. I should think there could 
be no great difficulty in ascertaining whether the water of 
Grant's Lick does not issue from a salt rock in its imme- 
diate vicinity. It is to be regretted that no person of leis* 
ure and intelligence has yet investigated a subject of such 
public utility and importance; as I make no doubt that 
at the same springs which are now worked with little ad- 
vantage and great labour, water could be found of ten-fold 
strength, and possibly the rock from which it undoubtedly 
issues. There are other springs in the neighbourhood of 
the Big Bone Lick, and through several parts of Kentucky, 
which are said to be medicinal^ and to have the property 
of relieving various disorders incident to the spring and 
fall of the year. All that I have met with are strongly 
impregnated with sulphur, and some so hot as to be within 
twenty degrees of boiling water. A sulphur spring near 
the Big Bone Lick turned a dollar black in less than five 
minutes. Nitre caves, and hills impregnated with nitre, 
are also common throughout the State, and are worked to 
great profit, every bushel of earth yielding on an average, 
three pounds of nitre. 

In the course of another day and night's navigation, I 
dropped forty-four miles lower down, and put into the 
mouth of the Kentucky River, which gives name to the 
State it intersects nearly in equal halves. It flows Jn in- 
numerable meanders, and through a very extensivenBody 
of good laml, except within fifty or more miles of the Ohio 
where it is too mountainous for the purposes of a profita- 
ble agriculture. It is navigable for loaded boats during a 
U 2 ■ • 



^34 TRAVELS IN 

considerable part of the year, upwards of one hundreJCi 
and fifty miles. 

Frankfort, the capital of the State, is situated in the west 
bank, about seventy miles from its contluence with the 
Ohio. The legislature and the supreme courts hold their 
j^essious there. 'I'he Slate-house is a large stone buildmg. 
This situation is so unhealthy, that the town must eventu- 
ally be abandoned. Tiiere is also a mean little town oii^ 
one side of the confluence, called Williams Port, and ano- 
ther on tlie other side of equal insignificance. 'Ihey are 
subject to periodical inundation, inductive of fever and 
every species of lassitude and sickness. Were it not for 
this, the towns would rise into eminence and obtain impor- 
tance from the growing commerce of the country and the 
Davigation of the river. 

The Kentucky is about ninety yards at its mouth. Its 
banks, or rather precipices, ought to be reckoned among, 
the grandest natural curiosities of the country. There the 
astonished eye beholds three hundred, and often five hun- 
dred feet of solid perpendicular rock, in some parts of lime 
stone, and in others of fine white marble, chequered with 
.strata of extraordinary beauty and regularity, which gives 
the river the appearance of an immensely deep and artifi- 
cial canal, whose rocky banks are crowned with sumptuous 
Lcdar, and other trees, of a perpetual verdure. 

While exploring the banks, 1 fell in with some antiqui- 
ries peculiar to the country. They consist of old torts, 
jiot circular like the many I have pointed out, but oblong, 
und situated on strong, well chosen grounds, and always 
contiguous to the best landings of the river. When, by 
whom, and for what purpose thrown up, is, most unfurtu- 
ijalely uncertain. T hey are undoubtedly very ancient, as 
there is not the least visible ditierence in ihe age or size of 
the timber growing on or within those forts, and that which 
j^rows without ; and I never yet could obtain any satis- 
Uctory tradition respecting them. Doctor Cutler, who 
has accurately examined the trees in those forts, and which 
lie thinks from ajjpeaiances are the second growth, is of 
opinion, that they must have been built upwards of one 
thousand years. One lact is also clear ; they must have 
been the cfibrts of a people acquainted with some science, 
and capable of infinite labour ; and it is difficult lo con- 
ceive how thcv cQuUl be cuuiU-u:;cd withui:: tiit use of 



AMERICA. n& 

Iron tools and the instruments we are compelled to employ 
in works oF much less magnitude and character. At a. 
small distance trom each tort there stands a mound of 
earth thrown up in the manner of a pyramid. 

The water, owing to its low state, beginning to flow in 
a very sluggish manner, it took me two days and two nights' 
to bear me along to Louisville, from which I now write^ 
the distance seventy-seven miles; in which run the river 
presented nothing very remarkable, though I observed it 
increase in breadth,, grandeur, aad sublimity, and to ap- 
pear more awful from the heighth of its banks, and the si- 
lence which prevailed from the distance of the habitations 
of man, and the absence of population and society. I 
amuse<l myself each day by going ashore with my gun, and 
walking along for hours together,vvhile the boat dropped down 
uilh the stream. 1 killed several dozen of tine ducks, and 
one deer,, in the act of swiming across the water to elude 
the pursuit of a wolf that had been long chasing him. 

Late in the year, and in the spring season, the river is 
covered with wild geese, swans, and ducks of various de- 
scriptions. In the summer, and at this season they visit 
the Lakes, where they breed and bring up their young in 
great multitudes. One species of duck alone remain per- 
manently on the river, and that is the worst of the whole 
kind. I killed a few young turkeys, which were exquisite 
in taste and flavor. The shores abound in subjests of spe- 
culation and interest. Animal and vegetable petrifactions 
may be picked up nearly at every step, and in the highest 
state of purity and perlection ; so much so, that the char- 
acters ol each object are distinct anxi visible, and nothing 
wanting in the one but scent, softness, and colour, and 
in the otlier, the active principle ot life. All the waters 
of the Ohio and its tributaries are gift-ed with the powers 
of pet refaction. 

The first intimation I had of the approach to Louisville 
was the roaring of the falls, which reached me at the dis- 
tance of fiiteen miles. Four miles farther on gave me a 
iine view of the town which stands about two miles above 
the falls on the Kentucky shore. The entire coup d'ctil is- 
very grand, but the dispo'siiion to admire is drowned in the 
murmur of the waters, and the danger it anrvf)U;ices to the 
mind. As the fails cannot be passed without a pilot and 
Sk number of extra hands to govtrn the helm and the cars, 



23t) TRAVELS IN 

it is always necessary to look out within five oi*^ six mil^s? 
and pull in for the left shore before there is a possibility of- 
getting into the suction of the fall stream, and from thence 
into the vortex of the flood. By my not attending to thiy 
in time I was very near perishing. The velocity of the wa^ 
ter increased ; the uproar of the falls became tremendous,- 
and nothing but the continued and vigorous exertion of 
the oars saved us from sudden and violent perdition. We 
rowed one hour across the stream and got into dull water, 
but five minutes before our deaths must have been certain j 
whereas, had 1 pulled in on seeing the town, I might have 
dropped quietly down along the bank, and enjoyed the gran- 
deur and sublimity of the general scene, in the place of ex- 
periencing so much labour and apprehension. 

Having secured the boat in the mouth of Bear Grass 
Greek, I walked up to the town of Louisville, which is situ- 
ated on a high and level bank of the Ohio, about two hun-' 
dred poles above the commencement of the rapid descent 
of the water, and contains about eighty dwellings, besides, 
the court-house of Jefferson county, and other public build- 
ings. The prospect from the town is very extensive, com- 
manding a view up the river, for some distance above what 
is called Sty Mile Island; and on the opposite shore, wliich 
is the distance of one mile and a quarter, the eye is carried 
over an extent of level country, terminated by the hills of 
Silver Creek, which are five miles distant, and down the 
river to Clarksville, about two miles below. 

Here the magnificence of the scene, the grandeur of the 
falls, the unceasing brawl of the cataract, and the beauty 
of the surrounding prospect, all contribute to render the 
place truly delightful, and to impress every man of obser- 
vation who beholds it with ideas of its future importance, till' 
he enquires more minutely, and discovers a character of 
unheakhiness in the place, which forbids the encourage- 
ment of any hope of its permanency or improvement. 

A ship yard is erected below the rapids, by the company 
of Tavnscon, Brothers, and James Berthand, the latter of 
whom now resides here. This certainly is the most eligi- 
ble place on the river Ohio ; and a greater prospect of the 
advantages of such an establishment now opens, since the- 
vast territory of Louisiana has become the property of the 
United States. 



AIMERICA. i3% 

Louisville is a port of entry. It is about nine hundred 
and thirteen railes by way of the river and mountains td 
Philadelphia, and by land about seven hundred. It is seven- 
ty miles from Lexington, and forty from Frankfort, m Ken- 
tucky, of which State it forms a part, and conducts all its 
export, which principally Consists of the articles betore 
named, and which are taken in exchange for foreign spirits 
and British goods, brought into the country by the way of 
Pittsburg, 

The inhabitants are universally addicted to gambling 
and drinking. The billiard rooms are crowded from morn- 
ing to night, and often all night through. I am the more 
concerned to see the prevalence of these vices, as I expe- 
rience a liberality and attention in the town, which has 
given me an interest in the general welfare of its people. 

J visited the falls of the Ohio on the sand side, and 
found them occasioned by a ledge of rocks which extend- 
ed quite across the river, and are hardly to be perceived 
by the navigator in times of high freshes, unless by the su- 
perior velocity of the vessel. When the water is low, £ts 
it is at this period, the greater part of the rock becoms 
visible, and then the passage becomes highly dangerous. 
There are three channels in the rock through which the 
water passes. The rapids descend about thirty feet in the 
length of a mile and a half. The fise of the waters doe^ 
not exceed twelve or fourteen feet, and has at times sunk 
to ten inches. A part of the rock remains in the middle 
of the river, and has never been overflowed, though it 
wastes every day by the constant action of the waters, and 
attrition of pebble stones cast up by the impetuosity of the 
current. It commnnds the settlement of Louisville. The 
fort, however, is situated at the head of the falls. 

A pilot, for the safe conduct of boats through those falls, 
has been regularly appointed by the State ; he is answera- 
ble for all damages sustained through his neglect or bad 
management. The price for pilotage of all kinds are re- 
gulated by the same authority. — A light boat can pass 
at all times when directed by a skiliul pilot; and if it 
should be found necessary to unload at Bear Grass, and re- 
load below the rapids, the portage is very inconsiderable, 
being only two miles. 

Notwithstanding the low state of the water, and the im- 
minent peril of the passage, i deierinmed ou taking the 



^!13^ TRAVELS IK 

e7iute without farther delay, and lay my boat up below th« 
falls, vhile 1 returned to the town, and made a short ex- 
cursion through the country. I accordingly sent for the 
feead pilot. He informed me that he feared a thunder gusf 
was collecting. The late violent heats, and the prognos- 
tics declared by the noise of the falls, and the vapour sus- 
pended over them, were strong portentions of a storm, and 
made the passage too hazardous to be taken at the pilot's 
risk. Whenever f have detennined on acting, I have not 
easily been turned from my intentions. This habit or ob- 
stinacy made me persist in going, and I tohi the pilot to 
prepare immediately, and that I would take the conse- 
tijuencG of a.ny hjss on my own head. He agreed and re- 
paired to my boat with six additional hands, and I shortly 
followed him, accompanied by two ladies and a gentleman,- 
■who had courage to take the fall out of mere curiosity, 
notwithstanding the great peril with which the act was al- 
lied. We all embarked. The oars were manned with 
our men each. The pilot and I governed the helm, and 
my passengers sat on the roof of the boat. A profound 
silence reigned. A sentiment of awe and terror occupied 
every mind, and urged the necessity of a fixed and resolute 
duty. In a few minutes we worked across the eddy and 
reached the current of the north fall, which hurried us on 
with an awful swiftness, and made impressions vain to de^- 
scribe. The water soon rushed with a more horrid fury, 
and seemed to threaten destruction even to the solid rock 
which opposed its passage in the centre of the river, and 
the terrific and incessant din with which this was accom-- 
panied almost overcome and unnerved the heart. At the 
distance of half a mile a thick mist, like volumes of smoke, 
rose to the skies, and as we advanced we heard a more sul- 
len noise, which soon after almost stunned our ears. Mak- 
ing as we proceeded the north side, we were struck with 
the most terrific event and awful scene. The expected 
thunder burst at once in heavy peals over our heads, and 
the gusts with which it was accompanied raged up the ri- 
ver, and held our boat in agitated suspense on the verge 
of the precipitating flood. The lightening, too, glanced and 
flashed on the furious cataract, which rushed down with 
tremendous fury within sigh' of the eye. We doubled the 
most fatal rock, and though the storm encreased to a 
dreadful degree, we iaeld the boat in the channel, took^ 



AMERICA. 23^ 

die chute., and following with skilful helm its narrow and 
winding bed, filled with rocks, and confined by a vortex 
which appears the residence of death, we floated in unin- 
terrupted water of one calm continued sh«eet. The instant 
of taking the fall was certainly sublime and awful. The 
organs of perception were hurried along, and partook of 
the turbulence of the roaring water. The powers of re- 
collection were even suspended by the sudden shock ; and 
it was not till after a considerable time that I was enabled 
to look back and contemplate the sublime horrors of the 
scene from which I had made so fortunate an escape. 

When in smooth water and my mind somewhat collect- 
ed, I attended to the ladies who had the temerity to hon- 
our me with their company through the hazard of the 
falls. I found them in a ver}^ exhausted state. The thun- 
der had entirely unnerved them. I must do them the 
justice, however, to say that they shewed great magnani- 
mity: — they suppressed their feeling, and never uttered a 
cry, for fear of intimidating or interrupting the hands. On 
getting on shore they quickly recovered, and we enjoyed 
a pleasant walk back to the town, and passed the evening 
with that serene delight which is only known to those who 
have experienced an equally extraordinary and eventful 
day. 

Very shortly there will be no necessity of boats encoun- 
tering such rocjks. A canal is now constructing on each 
side the Ohio, b}^ which means vessels may descend at all 
seasons, and without the possibility of accident or danger. 
For some time back from eight to twelve boats have been 
lost annually, and many have been detained for want of 
water. Therefore the canal must prove a grand acquisi- 
tion, and extend benefit far and wide. It is to be finish- 
^ in two years, and will b^ about three miles in length. 



^& TRAVELS IN 



LETTER XXVIH. 

Excursion from Louisville — view of the country and its prO' 
ducHons — Kentuckyan mode of life — medicinal herbs — 
birds — list of snakes — remarkable mockingbird — a rich 
vale — Beardstown, 

Loaisville, August, 1806. 
I HAVE just returned from an excursion, of whicli 
I transmit you my notes. 

Accommodated with two excellent saddle and one gooi 
pack horse for the conveyance of my tent, and a few com- 
mon necessaries, I took a south course with the intention 
of reaching Beardstown, a rising settlemert about fifty 
miles off. I was v^ry glad to find that the bills were neither 
so rugged nor numerous as I had previously experienced 
in most other parts of the State ; but 1 passed severai 
swamps and ponds, which emitted a most noxious smell, 
and effected for a moment both the stomach and the head. 
I found the country exceedingly well timbeied. Sugar 
maple, the coffee, the papaw, the hackberry, and the cu- 
cumber tree every where abounded. The cofl'ee tree re- 
sembles the black oak, and bears a pod, which encloses a 
seed, of which a drink is made, thought by inferior tastes 
to be as good as coffee. Besides these, I met with tlie 
honey locust, black mulberry, and wild cherr}' of a large 
size, and the magnolia, bearing a beautiful blossom and 
shedding an exquisite fragrance. Numerous farms che- 
quered this rich scene, producing wheat, corn, oats, flax, 
hemp, tobacco, cotton, and vegetables of all kinds, com- 
mon to a mild climate, and which appeared to yield abun- 
dantly. The wheat promising sixty, and the corn one 
hundred bushels per acre, in many well cultivated planta- 
tions. The fruit made no appearance. The trees bear 
too much at a season and perish untimely. Some peach- 
brandy is manufactured, but no cider is made in the .coun- 
try. I rode about fifteen or seventeen miles through this 
kind of mingled scenery, when I stopped at the house of a 
cultivator whom I had fallen in with on the road, and took 
!?uch refreshment as we found prepared. I shall mention 
n to you because it conveys a general idea of the mode 



AMERICA. 24i 

of living thi^ough the State. On entering the house, which 
was a log one, fitted up very well, the Kentuckyan never 
exchanged a word with his wife or his children, who were 
worrying a kangaroo on the floor before him, notwithstand- 
ing he had been absent several days. No tender enquiry, 
no atfection or sentiment, but a contemptuous silence, and 
*a stern brutality, which block up all the avenues to the 
beart. The poor woman, whom I pitied (for 'tis a fact 
that the women do not degenerate in proportion to the men, 
but continue to this day amiable) made a large bowl of 
drink called toddy, composed of sugar, water, whiskey, and 
peach-juice, and handed it to her husband with all the ser^- 
yility of a menial ; he drank and passed it to me, who fol- 
lowed his example, and found the liquor excellent. 

The dinner consisted of a large piece of salt bacon, a 
dish of homsjie, and a turreeen of squirrel broth. I dined 
entirely on the last dish, which 1 found incomparably good, 
and the meat equal to the most delicate chicken. The 
Kentuckyan ate nothing but bacon, which indeed is the fa- 
vourite'diet of all the inhabitants of the State, and drank 
nothing but whiskey, which soon made him more than two 
thirds drunk. In this last practice he is also supported by 
the public habit. In a country then, where bacon and spir- 
its form the favourite summer repast, it cannot be just to 
attribute entirely the causes of infirmity to ihe climate. No 
JDCople on earth live with less regard to regimen. They 
eat salt meat three times a day, seldom or never have any 
vegetable, and drink ardent spirits fromraorning till night! 
They have not only an aversion to fresh meat, but a vulgar 
prejudice that it is unwholsome. The truth is, their sto- 
machs are depraved by burning liquors, and they have no 
appetite for any thing but what is high flavoured and 
s^trongly impregnated with salt. Disgusted with the subject 
of th>ese reflections, I rose from taljle, cast a dollar on it 
for my entertainment, and hastening ('ufl to prepare my 
horses, rode otli', determined to pay no more such visits, and 
to want convenience and information sooner than seek tiiem 
at such a source. 

I had advanced but a few miles, when I left the ridgy 
regions which confine the Ohio, and travelled thror^di a 
delightful country, presenting to view one cxteiuled plain, 
iaterspersed with trees and covered with herbs and blos- 
!i1ais \ybich embalmed the air with the swectcist cdours. 



24^ TRAVELS IN 

and added to the luxury of the charming scene. Many 
spots Avere enriched by shady groves, and many enlivened 
"with lillies, roses, gilly-flowers, and jessamines, and a thou- 
sand other flowers, joined to the finest and most aromatic 
violets in the world. My servant, who is far a better bot- 
anist than myself, presented to my notice several herbs 
made use of by the wise men of his nation. I knew one 
to be the eustracia, which, by being soaked in warm water, 
and applied moist to the eye, restores a weak sight, or 
stops the fountain of the worst cataract. The next was 
that extraordinary berb called escursonera, which is an 
antidote against a:ll sorts of poison, and a remedy for the 
bile of the worst vipers. It is also said to be serviceable 
in the yellow fever ; in fits, paroxysms and vapours, and 
capable of dispelling gloom and melancholy. There was 
.'\lso another vegetable whose flower was very beautiful, 
and which the Indians used in all cases of fever and flux. 
1 he same exists in Portugal, and is known by the name of 
(ijiagris. 

Birds of every description, plumage, and song, were met 
with. Quail and partridge held the vicinity of cultivated 
grounds ; pheasants and black cocks abounded in the 
deepest woods, and the blue linnet, red bird, purple finch^ 
and hundreds of such others, claimed the protection of 
smaller detached bouquets and rural bowers. 

On the approach of evening, I chose for my encampment, 
one of those lavourite spots which nature had exerted her- 
self to adorn. It was the bank of a small stream, finely 
wooded, interspersed with shrubs and flowers, and resorted 
to by many birds, which gave life and harmony to the em- 
bclished scene. The rapid little creek forced its way 
through the rocky channel beneath, andthe trees that over 
hung the stream, exhibited an assemblage \x\\\y picturesque. 
On such a spot I encamped with my faithful follower, and 
soon prepared a supper out of the fortune of the day. I 
had killed a very fine black cock and several quails. The 
jlesh of the black cock was of the most exquisite relish. 
This bird is known in the High-lands of Scotland. He is 
not commonly found in so southern a latitude as this. In 
liie winter of 1788, these birds were taken plentifully a- 
bout Quebec. Whenever the winter of the Arctic region 
sets in with rain, so as to cover the branches and leaves of 
trees with a glaze of ice, they arc deprived of their food. 



AMERICA. 



343 



land obliged to fly to a milder climate. They differ much 
from those of Europe in colour, the feathers being mostly 
white, and a coronet ol dark grey displayed oii the head. 
After the repast I began to prepare for the night. To 
prevent the robberies frequently perpetrated in Kentucky, 
I charged my riflle and pistols, and placed a couteau dc 
chasse where 1 intended to la} my head. ]\ly next care 
was to guard against wild cats, wolves, and panthers; and, 
above all, against my most hated enemy, the crawling and 
deadly snake. In all my wandering they have cost me the 
greatest portion of pain and uneasiness ; and I have never 
encamped, but when my friend Cuff had led my mind to 
the contemplation, by relating the stories of serpents, suf- 
ficient to appal the stoutest heart. Our repast ended, and 
our arrangements made, the conversation as usual, turned 
on the serpent tribe, and we called the following at IciKst 
(o our recollection. 



Rattle Snake 

Yellow Ditto 

Small Ditto 

Bastard Ditto 

Moceasm Snake 

Grey spotted Ditto 

Water Viper, with a sharp 
thorn tail 

Black Viper 

Brown Ditto 

White bodied, brown eyed 
Snake 

Black Snake, with lineal 
Rings 

A Snake with 152 Scutae, 
and 135 Scutillce 

Bluish green Snake, with 
a stiTtched-out triang- 
ular snout. 

Copper bellied Snake 

Black Snake 

White neck Ditto 

Sn^all brown Adder 



House Ditto 
Water Ditto 
Brown Snake 
tittle bead Ditto 
Coach-whip Ditto 
Corn Ditto 
Green Ditto 
Wampum Ditto 
Ribbon Ditto 
Pnie-Hoi-n,orBull Skakf,> 
Jowith a spear in his tail 

int Snake 
Garter Ditto 
Striped Ditto 
Chicken Ditto 
Glass Ditto 
Brown spotted Ditto 
Yellow and white Ditto 
Hissing Ditto 
Ring Ditto 
Two Headed Ditto 
Copper Headed Ditto 



,244 TRAVELS IN 

On taking every precaution which fear could suggest 
against such a host of enemies, 1 at length lay down, and 
from excessive fatigue, passed a night of the most tranquil 
and undisturbed repose. I was waked in the morning be- 
fore the sun rose by an extraordinary fine mocking bird. 
He began by natural notes, musical and solemn, and then 
assumed the tones of numerous other animals, whether 
«juadrupeds or birds. He seemed to divert himself alter- 
nately with alluring or terrilying other birds, and to sport 
with their hopes and fears. Sometimes he enticed them 
witii the call of their mates, and on their approach terrifi- 
ed them with the screams of the eagle, or some other bird 
«f prey. After this, he again took up his own native mel- 
4>dy. and rising to the top of the highest tree, poured forth 
tiie sweetest and most various strains that imagination 
could conceive, and more than any other creatu-re is en- 
dowed with the faculty to perform. This enchanting bird 
continued while T prepared and sat at my breakfast, and ( 
heard his notes long after I left the place of his rest. 

The remainder of my ride to Beardstown, was highly 
interesting. It lay through an enchanting vale, in many 
places cultivated to the summit of the hills that formed it, 
and in all others covered with luxuriant timber and aro- 
matic plants and shrubs. The vale is t-venty miles in length, 
ruid fifteen in breadth ; and as the splendid productions of 
nature, with which it abounds, are mingled with neat farm- 
houses, and settlements of considerable improvement, I 
know of no ]iluce that can vie with it for richness of scene- 
ry and rural perfection. No doubt, this vale and one 
other nearly similar to it, have been the cause of the ex- 
traordinary and extravagant reports which have been so 
industriously circulated in favour of Kentucky. The au- 
thors of such reports, tilled with enthusiasm by the abund- 
ant beauties of such spots, lost sight of the general defor- 
mity of the country, and led the world astray by publishing 
the impressions made on them by a local and particular 
place. 

Having conversed with a planter of some civilization and 
intelligence, I learned that the vale had been th« favourite 
residence of a nation of Indians, called, from tradition, 
Pono Cognorago, or the Vale of Spirits — which bears an 
exact analogy to our Gardenof Eden, or Paradise, such 



AMERICA. 245 

places as have been deigned worthy tbe care and the walks 
of God. 

Beardstown is situated on the southern verge of the Vale 
of Spirits, and where the ground is diversified-by easy ris- 
ings, and enriched with -noble forests and improved land, 
abounding in domestic cattle and all manner of wild game. 
The prodigality of the inhabitants not as yet having been 
equal to the accomplishment of its ruin. The town con- 
sists of about fifty houses, frame, log, and brick, and de* 
rives much of its consequence from receiving the road 
through it whfch leads from the Eastern States, through- 
Pittsburg, Chilicothe, and Lexington, to New Orleans, and 
stations on the Mexican Gulph : a rout of about eighteen 
hundred miles, for the most part over mountains and 
through swamps and wilderness ; but which have now 
small taverns placed at convenient distances through its 
whole length. It is also the great post road to Tenesee, 
Georgia and the Carolinas. Its market is extraordinary 
cheap, as may be judged from the terms of board and 
lodging, being but from a dollar to a dollar and a half per 
week. Of the inhabitants I have already said enough to 
make humanity shudder. They trample on all the advan- 
tages spread before them by nature, and live in a brutal 
ignorance of the charms and luxuries v;hich surround 
them. 

The principal j)art of the produce of the country about 
Beardstown is conveyed to theOhio by means of the Greer. 
River, which rises near the head of Salt River, and pursu- 
ing a westerly course, empties itself into the Ohio about ' 
fifty miles above the Wabach River. To the S. E. lie the 
Great Barrens — several million of acres of no utility to 
man or beast, being entirely destitute of U'ater. To the 
west a considerable way, flow the two great rivers, called 
Cumberland and Tennessee. 

The whole country, as far as has been explored, is found to 
He on a bed of limestone, which generally lies six feet be- 
low the surface, except in valleys, where the soil is much 
thinner, 

I remained but one night at Beardstown. The follow- 
ing day I returned here by a difli^rent direction, but met 
with nothing to be described without a dull tautology, 

W 2 



246 TRAVEL^ IN 



LETTER XXIX. 

Jcferson Toti-n and Canal — Clarksville — general ticto of the 
river two hundred and seventy-two miles doivn — Henderson 
ToTvn — Diamond Island. 

Mouih of the Wabash, Iiidiana Territor}'. 
September, 1806. 

PREVIOUSLY to leaving Louisville, I crossed the 
fiver and visited the town of Jefferson, which is also seated 
about two miles above the falls. It is yet very small, but 
the inhabitants appear determined to add to its character 
and opulence, being now employed in forming a canal, by 
^vhich navigators may avoid all dangers, and proceed down 
the river at all seasons of the year. I surveyed the line of 
the canal, and think it much more practicable than that 
marked ofi' on the opposite shore. I entertain no doubt of 
the commerce of the river being adequate to the support 
of both undertakings, and that the proprietors will be 
hereafter amply remunerated. 

I descended the falls by the shore, and once more en- 
joyed their grandeur, though from a ditTerenl point of view. 
i then crossed over to my boat, which lay at Clarksville, a 
flmall settlement lying near the eddy formed by the recoil- 
Ting flood. It is as yet a village of no importance, howe- 
ver, if it forms the mouth of the intended canal its rise is 
certain. Twenty-five miles from Louisville, 1 passed the 
mouth of Salt River on the Kentucky shore. All I could 
learn respecting it, was, that it received its name from the 
number of salines on its banks, which impregnate its waters, 
M-hcn in a low state, and fifty-seven miles farther down I 
put into Blue River on the Indiana i^'nle, which takes its 
name from its colour being of a fine azure. 

In the whole run to the Wabash of two hundred and 
seventy-two miles, effected in six days, and 1 made little 
or no stop, and met with no event to be called interesting. 
I very strongly perceived that occurrences capable of af- 
fording information and anecHote were ceasing. Above 
the falls, the banks of the river are enlivened by planta- 
tions, towns, and villages ; below, nothing is seen but the 
state'of nature, broken at vast dist^vnces, of Irom twenty to 



AMERICA. U7 

thirty miles, with wretched huts, the residence of solitude" 
and misfortune, Most of the settlers on the lower parts 
of the waters are criminals who either escaped from, or 
were apprehensive of, public justice. On descending the. 
river, they fix on some inviting spot without ever looking^ 
after the proprietor of the soil, erect a log-hut, plant a lit- 
tle corn, make salt at a neighbouring saline ; coffee from 
the wild pea ; and extract sugar from the maple tree. In 
time they extend their labours, and embrace all the ne- 
cessaries of life. Some do more — from living in habits of 
industry they lose the practise of vice, and learn the con- 
sequence of virtue ; while unhappily, some others pursue 
their former crimes, and live by the means of murder and 
the plunder of various boats. 

The aspect and banks of the river in the late run I have 
made, areTlearly similar to those above the falls, and from 
below Pittsburg. The banks are formed of a chain of 
mountains ; some rising up and above the rest ; and some 
are so low, interwoven, and contrasted, that they form an 
agreeable diversity of hills and dales. From several points 
of view, the opposite bank looks like an immense amphi- 
theatre, which has all the charms that can be produced by 
an infinite variety of the most sumptuous trees and shrubs, 
reflecting uncommon beauties on each other, and on the 
bosom of their favourite flood. Twenty miles below Blue 
River I crossed the mouth of another river on the same 
side. I believe it has not been named. 1'he navigation 
of the three last rivers I have mentioned, is very trifling. 
Their waters are low, and broken by rocks and rapids. 

About ninety miles below the Blue River, and eight 
hundred and thirty-nine from Pittbburg, is Yellow-bank 
Creek ; so called from the banks changing its general col- 
our and quality of a black mould to a bright yellow clay. 
In the space of eight miles below this creek, I passed a 
chain of islands, six in number, which added much to the 
effect and beauty of the water, and gave more variety to 
the general scene. The islands were richly wooded, as 
are all others on the river. Between a creek called Hac- 
den's and the Yellow-bank, which maintains its colour for 
the distance of a mile, the low lands commence. The high 
hillf, which up the river are uniformly to be met with, now 
entirely disappear, and there is nothing to be seen on ei- 
ther hand but an extensive level country. It is remaika- 



248 TRAVELS IN 

ble, that the hills should subside on each shore exactly ar 
equal distances down, and in a similar distinction and 
manner twenty-five miles from the Yellow-bank. Icrossed 
the mouth of Green River on the Kentucky shore. It is 
the fine water which I mentioned in my last. It is navi- 
gated by a bateaux at one season, and by flat bottomed 
boats through the year. The lands are healthy, and in- 
habited by a stout race of people. Nearer the Ohio it is 
subject to inundation, is sickly, and thinly settled. Lower 
down, twenty-five miles more, I came to a place called the 
Red Bank, in consequence of its varying from the general 
colour, and assuming a deep red. I could not learn that 
any rainerial or any ore had ever been discovered in the 
Red or Yellow-bank. This colour would encourage a be- 
lief that they contain something analagous to its distinction 
from that of the common and adjoining soil. The Unitecll 
States should order such appearances to be analized and 
explored. At the Red Bank, which is included in a grant 
by Congress to one Henderson, of two hundred thousand 
acres ! a town is laid off. Owing to a remarkable bend iii 
the river, though the distance from the mouth of Green 
River to Henderson, by water is twenty-five miles, yet by 
land it is only about seven. Henderson consists of about 
twenty houses, and inhabited by a people whose doom is 
fixed. I never saw the same number of persons look so 
languid, emaciated and sick. The whole settlement waa - 
attacked in the spring by the ague, which subsided in a 
nervous fever, and is now followed by a violent and wasting 
flux. 

I left Henderson with the commisseration due to the 
sufferings of its inhabitants, and after a run of fifteen miles, 
came in view of Diamond Island, which is by far the finest 
in the river, and perhaps the most beautiful in the world. 
It is higher than the adjoining main land, containing twen- 
ty-thousand acres ; and is of the exact form of a- diamond, 
whose angles point directly up and down, and to each side 
of the expanded river. The shades, views, and perspective 
of an island so situated, clothed with aromatic shrubs, 
crowned with timber, surrounded by water, bounded by an 
extensive and delightful country, are too numerous, varied, 
and sublime, to come under the controul of written de- 
s<;ription. 



AMERICA. U9 

I visited the island in several directions, and found es- 
tablished on it a few French tamihes, who hve nearly in 
the original Indian state and bestow very little labour on 
the ground They have planted a rew peech-orchards which 
thrive well, as do every other exotic introduced. Native 
grapes abound, and I tasted wine expressed trom them, 
which was as good as any inferior Bourdeaux. Fish are 
innumerable in the water, and swans, ducks, and geese re- 
side eight months in the year around the island. It also 
abounds with game of every description, and is often visit- 
ed by herds of deer, which swim from the main land to 
<jnjoy its fragrant herbage and luxuriant pasture. 

The Wabash enters on the Indian or N. \V. side. It is 
nine hundred and forty-nine miles from Pittsburg, and is 
bne of the most considerable rivers between that town and 
the mouth of the Ohio. It is very beauritul, four hundred 
Vardb wide at its mouth, and three hundred at St. Vine- 
Conne's, which is one hundred miles above the mouth in a 
direct line. Within this space there are two small rapids 
which give very little obstruction to the navigation. In the 
spring and autumn it is passable for bateaux, drawing three 
feet water ; four hundred and twelve miles to Ouiatona, a 
small French settlement on the west side of the river ; and 
for large canoes it is vavigable for one hundred and nine- 
ty-seven miles further, to the Miami carry ing-place,> which 
is nine miles from the Miami village. This village stands 
on Miami River, which empties into the S. W. part of 
Lake Erie. The communication between Detroit and the 
Illinois and Indiana country, is up Miami River to Mia- 
mi village ; thence, by land, nine miles through a level 
country to the Wabash, and through the various branches 
of the Wabash to the respective places of distinction. 

A silver mine has been discovered about twenty-eight 
miles above Ouiatonan, and salt-springs, lime, free-stone, 
blue, yellow and white clay, are found in abundance oti 
this river's banks. 



.25a TRAVELS IHT 



LETTER XXX. 

RemarJcable cave — Vengeance of the Illinois on the Kenfut- 
kyans — Wilson's gang — f articular description of the cave^^ 
■—hyeroglyphics^ 

Cave in the Rock, Ohio Bank, Sept. 1806* 

I HAD descended but twenty-two miles from the Wa- 
bash when 1 came too on the Indiana shore to examine a 
very grand and interesting natural curiosity. It is a cave 
in a rock which presents itself to view a little above the 
water when high, and close to the bank of the river, and 
is darkened by the shade of some Catalpa trees standirtg 
before the entrance, which adds much to the sublimity ol 
its character. On each side the gently ascending copses of 
Wood, and the extensive view of the water, profound, wide 
and transparent, tend to render the cave an object truly 
delightful and worthy of the most minute attention. I re- 
solved to explore it, though it bore the reputation of being 
the residence of a band of robbers who for many years have 
infested the river. But I find the cavern at iirst became 
an object of terror and astonishment fn^i having been the 
retreat of the remains of an Indian nation exasperated a- 
gainst the Americans, and resolved to put as many of them 
as possible to death, to revenge the injuries and insults 
they and their friends had experienced from them since 
their coming into the country. It was a party of the Illi- 
nois who adopted this fatal resolution, and who carried it 
on for several years with the most bloody effect, till a large 
party of Kentuckyans resolved to attack and endeavour to 
exterminate them. With this intent fifty well armed men ■ 
descended to the cave-and attacked the Illinois who were 
double that number. Several fell on both sides, and the 
victory being doubtful till the Illinois, annoyed by the dis- 
tance and length of the combat, rushed upon the enemy 
with lifted tomahawks and horrid cries, and drove them to 
the mouth of the cave into which they entered, and made 
a long and terrible resistance. In an instant the Illinois- 
changed their mode : they cast up a heap of dry wood, 
reeds and cane, immediately belore the entrance which 
they undoubtedly guarded, and setting iire to the p.iles^ 



AMERICA. 55JL 

^suffocated all those who had not resolution to rush through 
the flame and brave death in another eftbrt with their suc- 
cessful enemy. Some had vigour to make this desperate 
attempt. It was fruitless. The life of one man alone was 
■ spared. The rest perished by the fire, or fell under the 
Jiatchet. The man, whose life was given him, was sent 
back to the Government of Kentucky with this message ; 
" Tell your wise men, that the Illinois have glutted their 
vengeance, and that their spirit is satisfied and appeased. 
On the borders of the lake, we will bury the hatchet." — ■ 
Woe to those who make us take it from the ground,"— 
Soon after this act they departed, and reside tu this time 
on the spot they mentioned for their intended retreat. The 
iirst who visited the cave witnessed a dreadful spectacle. — 
The putrid bodies of the Americans werestrewed all around. 
And as wolves, panthers, buzzards, and vultures, had 
made them their prey for several days, it must be difficult 
to form an idea of their mangled and terrible appearance. 
The remains were gathered together and buried under some 
sand at the far end of the cave, where they are frequently 
disturbed to gratify the curiosity of the river navigators. 

About three years after this distinguished act of nation- 
al and Indian vengeance, -the cave became possessed by a 
party of Kentuckyans, called " Wilson's Gang." Wilson, 
in the first instance, brought his family to the cave, fitted 
it. up as a spacious dwelling, and erected a sign post on the. 
water side, on which were these words : " Wilson's liquor 
vault and house for entertainment." The novelty of such 
a tavern induced almost all boats descending the river to 
call and stop for refreshment and amusement. Attract- 
ed by these circumstances, several idle characters took up 
their abode at the cave, after which it continually resound- 
ed with the shouts of the licentious, the clamour of riot, 
and the blasphemy of gamblers. Out of such customers 
as these Wilson found no difficulty in forming a band of 
robbers, with whom he formed the plan of murdering the 
crews of every boat that stopped at his tavern, and send the 
boats, manned by some of his party to New Oileans, and 
there sell their lading for cash, which was to be conveyed 
to the cave by land through the states of Tenessee and 
Kentucky ; the party returning with it beir.g instructed to 
murder and rob, on all good occasions, presented by the 
road. After a lapse of some time, the merchants of tlie 



S55 TRAVELS IN 

upper country began to be alarmed, on Ending their pro- 
perty make no return, and that their people never came 
back. Several families and respectable men who had gone 
down the river were never more heard of, and the losses 
became so frequent that it raised at length a cry of indivi- 
dual and general distress. This naturally led to enquiry, 
and large rewards were offered for the discovery of the per- 
petrators of such unparalleled crimes. It soon came out 
that Wilson, with an organized party of forty-five men, was 
the cause of such waste of blood and treasure ; that he 
had a station at Hurricane Island to arrest boats that pass- 
ed by the mouth of the cavern, and that he had agents at 
the Natchiz and New Orleans, of presumed respectability, 
who converted his assignments into cash, though they 
knew the goods to be stolen, or obtained by the commis- 
sion of murder ! The publicity of Wilson's transactions 
soon broke up his party ; some dispersed, others were ta- 
ken prisoners, and he himself was killed by one of his as- 
sociates, who was tempted by the original reward otl'ered 
for the head of the captain of the gang. 

These facts, which I had heard before, came direct to 
my memory on my arrival at the cave, and I confess to 
you, that I hesitated some moments before I resolved to ex- 
plore it. My men had also heard accounts of the cavern 
which made them tremble, and recommended me strongly 
to depart, for fear of any dreadful accident. I was not to 
be turned from my purpose. 1 ordered light and arms, 
and entered the gloomy and spacious fabric of nature. Al- 
ter meditating a few momenta on the general outline and 
grandeur of the scene, I descended to particulars, and 
found the cave to measure two hundred feet long, and for- 
ty feet high : the entrance forming a semicircular arch of 
ninety feet at its base, and forty-five in its perpendicular. 
The interior walls are smooth rock stained by tire and mark- 
ed with names of persons and dates, and other remarks, 
etched by former inhabitants and nearly by every visitor. 
^I'he floor is very remarkable ; it is level through the whole 
length of its centre, and rises to the sides in stone grades 
in the manner of seats in the pit of a theatre. On a dili- 
gent scrutiny of the walls, I could plainly discern that the 
Indians, at a very remote period, made use ot the cave as 
a house of deliberation and council. The walls bear many 
hyeroglyphics, well executed in the. Indian man-iier ; anal 



AMERICA. .2^3 

^ome of them represei>te(l animals which bear no resem- 
blance to any I have ever heard of or seen. While occu- 
pied in this research, I discovered an orifice in the roof of 
the cave, which appeared to work up a iunnel to the sur- 
face of the earth. It was as large as an ordinary chimne}^, 
and placed directly in the centre of the rool. The access 
was very difficult, and yet an encrease of curiosity deter- 
mined me to find cut whither the passa<:;e led. In conse- 
quence 1 ordered a long bit kory to be cut down, to be 
notclied for the feet, and reared up against the mouth of 
the opening. My men seemed to think the passage might 
lead to the lurking plac<? of a banditti. They were much 
alarmed and used ever} peisuasion to turn me from my 
design. It was to no purpose. With a dirk at my breast, 
and a pair of pistols in my girdle, 1 mounted by means of 
the tree, and received a light from my servant, who insist- 
ed on following me, while Cufl" remained as a ccntir.el be- 
low, ready to fiie a signal on any person's approa<'h. — 
With much difficulty 1 strained through the aperture, 
which appeared to form a perpendicular passage of four- 
teen feet ; and to my great astonishment arrived in an a- 
partment of greater magnitude than that from which I had 
immediately ascended, and of infinitely more splendor, mag- 
nificence and variety. It expanded on all sides of the or- 
ifice, through which I mounted, and at first gave no deter- 
minate ideas. The mind on the contrary was confused and 
«tupified by so vague and incomprehensible a scene of 
gloom, diversity and vastness. As 1 advanced, by the as- 
sistance of the lights, I began to discover the outlines ofa 
large vault of great height and proportionate extent. The 
roof, whicii was arched, the sides and natural pillars that 
supported it, seemed atfirst sight to be cut out and wrought 
into innumerable figures and ornaments, not \inlike those 
of a gothic cathedral. These were formed by a thousand 
perpetual distillations of the coldest and most ])etnfying 
-quality imaginable, and which besides, exhibited an infinite 
number of objects that bore somc.imperlect resemblarce to- 
many different kinds of animals. At the farther end of 
this large vault was an opening, which }-erved as a descent 
to another vault of very great depth, as I judged from a 
stone ciist in, wh^se reverberation was not returned for the 
space of several seconds. The descent was too rapid to 
he practicable, and can never be attempted but by some 
X 



254 , TRAVELS IN 

rash adventurer, careless whether he survives or perishes. 
"While contemplating the frightful chasm, my servarii ap- 
proached me with some agitation and recommended me to 
descend. On demanding the cause, he conducted me to a 
part ot the cave he had been examining, and there 1 had 
the horror to discover the objects of his apprehension.: 
they consisted of human bones, some in a promiscuous 
heap, and some forming a complete skeleton. These v\ere 
the skeletons of very recent subjects ; and five others, by 
their ditference in preservation, appeared to belong to a 
very remote period. Two of the skulls were beaten in, 
and several bones were fractured and broken, from which 
I inferred that murder had been committed, and that the 
dreadful reports respecting the cave were neither fabulou« 
nor exaggerated. I met with a number of other fragments 
of skeletons, and some bones of deer and other animals, 
from which I presume that the banditti who infested the 
river sometimes dwelt in the upper as well as in the lower 
cave, and that most of their victims were immolated there- 
in, to save appearances and avoid detection. From the re- 
mains- it would appear that upwards of sixty persons must 
have periihed in the cav-e, either by the hand of the assas- 
sin, or from want, as it is possible that some unfortunate 
beings-might have taken shelter there from pursuit, and 
jiot being able to extricate themselves again from the laby- 
rinth : for with the assistant light, of %vhich the persecu- 
ted could not have been prepared, I found it extremely 
difficult to find the aperture which I entered. Perhaps 
half an hour uas occupied in the painful search. I fired 
a pistol off,' which I knew would bring my faithful Miin- 
danean to our relief, but I did not know that its effect 
would be terrific and its iinort tremendous. I'he oper- 
ation was too rapid to submit to description, and the facts 
too glaring to invite belief. No thunder could exceed the 
explosion, no echo return so strong a voice. My man fell 
as insensible at my feet, and I staggered severrj paces be- 
fore 1 could recover my equilibrium. The light extin- 
guished ; the echo of the shot again rebounded, *' through 
the long sounding aisle and fretted vault," and all the dae- 
mons of the place, awoke at once to appal and confound 
me. Owls screamed in their retreats, bats iluttercd through 
the air, and a direful contention of sounds and cries vied 
wi.th each other to scare the heart and fill the sou! Mith 



AMERICA. 2t5 

horror and dismay. Before the tumult ceased, I discov- 
ered beams oilight issuing from the lower cave, and in a 
moment after appeared my trusty Indian rising through 
the oritice with a torch in one liand and a sabre in the oth- 
er, and exclaiming okima, okima sanguiteht ; '* my chief, 
my chief, have a strong heart." 1 he tears which had 
been fastening upon me instantly fell off, and I had com- 
posure to contemplate a subject for a sombre picture, too 
grand and various to be expressed by hum^yi art. The 
gloom visibly receded from the rising light ; the columns 
displayed their ponderous magnitude : the roof exhibited 
its ample dome, a".d the whole glittered witli distillations, 
like the firmament, when studded with stars, and embellish- 
ed with falling meteors. We found here, to my astonish- 
ment, abundance of shells, principally of the muscle kind. 
They were all open and lay scattered on the floor and 
shelving sides of the cave, in a manner that fully convin- 
ced me they were there originally concreted and inhabited 
by fish, at a period when the place in which I found them 
uas a sub-marine vault. Fvy.r,. this tact it would appear 
that this country lay for ages under a flood, and that the 
wyters retired from it from other causes than those ascribed 
to ihe general and universal deluge, which we are instructed 
to believe rose and retreated in a space and manner that 
entirely checked every other proceeding of nature, and 
made an awful pause in her operation and works. That: 
the shells were introduced into the cave by a rising deluge, 
or by man, to live on their contents, is completely inad- 
missible from what I have already observed respecting the 
situations in which they are found, and the certain cha- 
racter, mctho.d and number they exhibit through the whole 
place. Surely this fact is worth the future speculations of 
the learned. 

At the instant of a disposition to descend to the lower 
ay>artment of the rock, and to the light of heaven, which I 
ardently longed to see, a persisting curiosity led me to visit 
a recess in the side of the cave, the opening to which was 
so low that 1 had to stoop considerably, and advance with 
care, to avoid the rugged walls of the passage, and the 
roof hung with christalizations, as pointed and bright as 
the most polished spear. 

I had advanced, however, but a few steps when the 
scene changed, I entered an apartment of an indefinite 



'^1^6 , vTRAVELS IN 

space of glo6m. No pillars supported the dome ; nochrys'- 
tal btars illumined the dismal firmament. It was a black 
domain, a dead-like assylum. I might have contemplated 
the forbidding scene sometime longer had 1 not been warn- 
ed to collect my thoughts and employ them quickly against 
au approaching danger. JMy torch grew dim, a smell of 
^:ulphur aftected my senses, the air of the place becamfe 
inflammable, the expanse instantaneously lighted up, and 
iiell and all its fire and furies, satellites and inhabitants sud* 
flenly burst on and around me. I made but one spring' 
-to the passage through which I entered, and escaped 
through it mangled and bruised. Notwithstanding the im- 
]s)resiiion of danger which remained on my mind, I could 
not resist looking back on the orifice from which I emerged : 
the lightning broke through it with such inconceivable ra- 
pidity and eclat, that expecting to hear the crack and rat* 
tie of thunder every instant, 1 ordt^red my people to fol- 
I'ow me, and descended to th;3 lower cave with the preci* 
|»i?atioii of a coward. 

An apprehension that the rock and caverns would ex-^ 
plode, induced us to retire to some dibtance ; that idle feai^ 
soon wore off, and I returned to the cave to examine '\W 
walls and trace out some of its hieroglyphics. 

I have, before this day, remarked an existing analogy 
in Indian and Greecian customs and practices. And it rc^ 
mains for me to give you a more ample and certain proof 
(*f a direct affinity and strong resemblance. 

The hieroglyphics of the cave consist of — The Sun in 
different stages of rise and declension — the Moon under 
Various phases — a Snake, representing an orb, biting its 
rail — a Viper — a Vulture — Buzzards tearing out the bow- 
els of a prostrate m-an — a Panther held by the ears by a 
child — a Crocodile — several Trees and bhrubs — a Fox — a 
<:urious kind of Ilydiu Serpent — two Doves — many Bears 
— i>everal Scorpions — an Eagle — an Owl — some Quails — 
eight representations of animals which are now unknown, 
but whose former existence I before asserted, from the 
character and number of bones I have already described 
to have been found. Three out of the eight are like the 
elephant in all respects except the tusk and tail. Two 
more resemble the tyger, one a wild boar, another a slotk, 
and the la^t appears a creature of fancy, being a quadru.- 
maue instead of a quadruped ; the claws being aliki^, 



AMERICA. 257 

and in the act of conveying something to the mouth, which 
lay in the centre of the monster ; and several fine repre- 
sentations of men and women, not naked, but clothed in 
a manner which, bespoke in the Indian, much of the cos- 
tume of Greece and Rome. 

You must at once perceive, that a person of the mean- 
est judgment and most confined reading, is compelled to 
allow that these objects, with an exception or two, were 
employed by the Greeks to display the nature of the world, 
the omnipotence of God, the attributes of man, and the 
utility ot reiidering his knowledge immortal and systema- 
tic. Suppose we enter into a short enquiry ot" the science 
of conveying instruction from several kinds of hieroglyphics, 
drawn from the works of nature, asd the dispositions of 
living anmials. It may be interesting, and cannot be en- 
tirely irrelevant to our subject. 

All human sciences flourished among the Egyptians long 
before they were common to any other people. 

The Greecians, in the days of Solon, Pythagoras, He- 
rodotus, and Plato, acquired in Egypt all that knowledge' 
of nature which rendered them so eminent and remarka- 
ble. But the Egyptian priests did not divulge their doc- 
trines without the aid of signs and figurative emblems. — - 
Their manner was to discover to their auditors the myste- 
ries of God and of Nature in hieroglyphics, which werQ 
certain visible shapes ami forms of creatures, whose incli- 
nations and dispositions led to the knowledge of the truths 
intended for instruction. All their divinity, philosophy, 
and their greatest secrets were comprehende-<l in these in- 
genious characters, for feir tney should be profaned by a 
familiar acquaintance with the commonality. The learn- 
ed of antifjuity seem not willing to muke them shdre in any 
part of the profound sciences ; therefore, Alexander was 
displeased at Aristotle for publishing, in a vulgar language, 
some of his treatises which contained an account of the 
curiosities of nature. 

1 shall now proceed to shew you that the same knowledge 
of hieroglyphics flourished in America for the same design, 
and witLas much ingenuity and '■.'■t. 

It requires but a rapid and cuibory view of the Iiiero- 
glyphics above enumerated, lo convince you of their in- 
tention, ^iu\ also that the vault wherein they arc foun<i 

X '2 



238 TRAVELS IN 

^^ngraven, was originally a place of worship and san-'Hiary 
of" Indian priests. 1 make a brief review. 

1. The Sun, the most glorious oi all visible beings, re- 
presented their chiet God, and received their adoration 
for causing all the fruits of the earth to bring forih theil" 
increase. 

2. The Moon denoted the next most beautiful object ia 
tlie creation, and was worshipped for her own pec'utiar 
lasefulness, and more particularly for supplying the place 
of the departed sun. 

3. The Snake, in the form of an orb, biting his tail, 
pointed out the continual mutation of creatures, and the 
change of one being into anc^ther ; or it represented the 
perpetual motion of the world itself. If so, this constru- 
ing agrees with the Greek figure of the same kind, which; 
implies that the world feeds upim itself, and receives from- 
itself in return, a continual supply lor renovation and. 
nourishment. Claudian was acquainted with this hiero- 
glyphic, which he beautifully describes : 

" Perpetuumgue virens sqnammis caudamque reducto 
" Ore voram, tacito rclegens exordia." 

Perhaps the same symbol designated the year, vvhiclt. 
xevolvss round and ends where it at first began. 1 believe 
rhe ancients gave it this import or meaning. 

4. The Viper, the most venomous of all creatures, was- 
the emblem of the Devil, or wicked Angel ; for, as it9 
poison is quick and powertul,.so is the destroying spirit in 
bringing on mankind evils which can only be opposed by 
the grace and power of God. 

5. The Vulture ; 1 am at a loss to give this hieroglyphic 
a just interpretation. 1 am persuaded it will bear the one 
given it by the Greeks, who made it express Nature. 

0". The Biuijard's tearing out the bowels of a prostrate 
man, seems a moral intending to reprove fierceness and 
cruelty, and to inculcate compassion and peace. 

7. The Panther, held by the ears by a child, was meant 
to impress a sense ot the dominion of innocence and vir- 
tue over oppression and vice, or perhaps it bore the Greek 
meaning of a wretch encompas^^ed with difficulties which 
he vainly attempts to avoid. 

8. 'i'he Crocodile, from its power and might, was ano- 
ther syinbol of the Great Spirit; or its being the only 
c-redlire wilhuut a tonguC; jniglu have given it a title to 



AMERICA. Shf- 

the ?^me honour, as all Indian nations concur in represent- 
ing thtir GoJ, beholding and doing all things in heaven 
and earth in a profound silence. 

9. I'he several Frees and 8hrubs were undoubtedly em- 
blematical ot" particular virtues, or represented in the tem- 
ple from a veneration for their aromatic and healing pro- 
perries. Among the ancients we know, that the palm and 
the laurel were emblems of victory and deserved honour;, 
the myrtle, of pleaj^ure — the cedar, of eternity — the oak, 
of strength — the olive-tree, of fruitfulness — the vine, of 
delight and joy — andrhelilly, of beauty, &c. But what 
th(»•^e in the cave imply, it is not possible to determine, as- 
nothing of their character can be deduced from the man- 
ner they were sketched on the surface of a rough wall^ 
where the design is obscured by smoke, or nearly oblite- 
rated from the efi'ecl of damp and the gradual decay o£ 
time. 

10. The Fox, from every authority, was put to denote 
subtility and craftiness. Kven now, an entire nation, goes 
by the name of the Fox Nation, a title their ancestors as- 
sumed at a remote period, when they subdued their ene- 
mies more by the use of cunning and art, than by the 
force of combat or dint of arms. 

11. The Hydra Serpent possibly signified malice and 
envy ; passions which the hieroglyphic taught mankind ta^ 
avoid ; or it may have implied an unsatistied desire and 
thirst which nothing could assuage, and which ought ne- 
ver to be su file red to re^ide in the human breast. It may 
bear some other hignitication also, which 1 have not divi-^ 
nation to find out. 

12. The two Doves were hieroglyphic of continency, 
and were represented to recommend chastity, and mutual, 
and conjugal love. All nations agree in this, and admire- 
the attachment of doves, and their extreme affection foe 
each other. They might also convey a moral to suppress 
eholer, the dove having none ; and to impose a love of 
meekness and good temper in the mind ol man. 

13. The Bears. 'I'hcre is a difficulty in ascertaining the 
intent of this hieroglyphic. I apprehend it means to im- 
ply labour and assiduity, as an Indian opinion prevails, 
that the cubs come into the world in mishapen parts, and 
that their eyes, ears, and other members are licked into 
^brin by the mother, who passes stveriul days Id that an.^i^* 



26*a TRAVELS IN 

ious and^nceasing employ; therefore they may have beea 
considered the emblem of labour, which gives beauiy and 
perfection in return for perseverance and toil. 

l-l-. The Scorpions were calculated to inspire a detesta- 
tion for malignity and vice. The present race of Indians 
hold these animals in great disgust. They are well ac- 
quainted with their fierce and venomous nature, and heal 
wounds inflicted by them by a preparation of their own 
blood. They miizht from this circumstance embrace con- 
siderable meaning in their hieroglyphic, and more than I 
here note. 

15. The Eagle was represented, and is held to this day, 
as the emblem of a great, noble, and liberal miml. When 
the Indians speak of a warrior who soars above the multi- 
tude in person and endowments, they say, " he is like the 
eagle, who destroys his enemies and gives protection and 
abundance to the weak of his own tribe." 

16. The Owl must have been set up to deter men from- 
deceit and hypocrisy. He cannot endure the light of the 
sun, nor can hypocrites bear that of truth and sincerit}'. 
He may have been the emblem of death and wretchedness, 
as among the Egyptians, or of victory and prosperity, 
when in a flying attitude, as among the Greeks ; 1 con- 
ceive ray first conclusion, however, to be the most admis- 
sible. 

17. The Quails aff'ord no clue to their hieroglyphic. — 
Probably they denoted the corn season, and pointed out 
the time for the usage of some particular rites and cere- 
monies. With the Greeks they were emblematical of im- 
piety, from a belief that they enrage and torment them- 
selves when the crescent of the new moon first appears. 

18. The representations of the large animals were indi- 
cative of the power and attributes of the Great Spirit. — 
The mammoth might have been emblematical of his great- 
ness, justice, resolution, and mercy ; the tyger of his 
strength, authority, and capacity of inflicting injuries ; 
the wild boar ot his wrath and vengeance; the sloth of 
his patience and forbearance, and the non-doscript figure 
ot his hidden virtues, which they knew themselves inca- 
pable to find out. 

19. The human figures give a Avider range for conjec- 
ture than any of the other objects I have named. The 
raen may reprei>ent chiefs, princes, 4>i>» warriors, who had 



AMERICA. S^:i 

Tnade themselves eminent in the government, in the coun- 
cil, oi- in the field ; or who had manifested that bravery of 
disposition, which contemns the ditficulties of the world 
and set the disgraces of fortune at defiance. One fact, 
however, results from the costume of the figures, that rs 
of jrreat interest and moment. The dress resembles the 
Romany and the figures would be taken for European an- 
tiques, were it not for the character and manner of the 
heads, which resemble those of tlie Indians of the present 
times. J'he dress consists of— ^J. A carbasus, or rich cloak. 
2. A jfabucuia, or waistcoat, or shirt. 3. A supparunx, 
©r breeches open at the knees. 4. Solea, or sandals tied 
across the toes and heels. 5. The head embraced by a 
bandeau and crowned with high feathers. 

20. What the females were nieant to represent, is as du- 
bious as that of the men ; the head dresses have a Grecian 
east ; the hair ennrcling the crown and confined by a bdd- 
kin. The remaining costume is Roman. 1. 1 he garment' 
called stolla, or perhaps the toga pura, flowed from the 
shoulders to the ground. — 2. An indusium ajjpeared un- 
derneath — 3. The indusium was confined under the breast 
by a zone or cestus — And 4. sandais in the manner of 
those of the men. 

1 fear not then to declare my mind and again to assert, 
that the Indians possessed habits and manners similar to 
©ther nations of anti(]uity. In common tht^y vveiethe un- 
sophisticated children of nature. In common they adv)pt- 
cd nie religion of nature, which is nothing more than the 
acknowledgment of God in his works, and won.luping (hose 
objects to which he is pleased to impart the most manliest 
degree of his character and power. It is not the individu- 
al thing itself that is a<lored, but the attribute ot the Su- 
preme i3(Mng which its dispositions and capacity figurative- 
ly untolds. 

1 he similitude in Indian and Grecian hieroglyphic is too 
natural to require authority to account for it. All nations 
have made use of this species of science, and nearly for 
the same purpose, and after the same manner. There are 
several nations distant from each otlier on the continent of 
Asia, whose languages are as diflerent as the Greek and 
Hebrew, and yet they understand the writings of one anoth- 
er, which cannot be but by cerLam hieroglyphic^, or uni- 
versal characters, representing the shapes, ot things known 



26t TRAVELS IN 

to men of all nations, and of all tongues. Therefore tKe 
hieroglyphics of the Americans not oniy agree with those 
of ancient Europe, but bear a vast resemblance to the sym- 
bals made use of by Asian, African, and Souih-Sea tribes. 
I shall illustrate this subject for you by an historical fact, 
which proves the existence of hieroglyphics in America 
■upwards of one hundred years back ; and shews how they 
were employed in the place of written characters — as in 
former Egypt, Greece, &c. 

Soon after Canada was invaded by the French, the Iro- 
quois, with whom they had many combats of various suc- 
cess, etched the following characters on a plane-tree plank^ 
after the decision of an engagement, and sent it in the na- 
ture of a dispatch to their ditt'e rent and distant tribes. 

1. The arms of France and a hatchet erect above them. 
The hatchet being the symbol of war, shewed that the 
French had taken it from the ground and declared venge^ 
ance against them. Round this figure were eighteen char- 
acters, each representing the number of ten, which impli- 
ed that the French were one hundred and eighty strong. 

2. In a line underneath, are designated, a bird in the 
act of springing from the top of a mountain, which \vas- 
well depicted. The mountain denoted Montreal, and the 
bird that it was the place from which the Indians took theit 
departure. 

3. On the same line are seen a deer, wiih a moon ex- 
pressed on his back, shewing that they started on the firsi 
quarter of the moon in the month ot July — called by them 
the Deer's month, 

4. Under this is a'canoe and twenty-one dots, which im- 
ply that they travelled by water one and twenty days. 

5. On another line is a man's foot and seven dots, shew- 
ing that they marched by land seven days. 

6". These are succeeded by a hand and three cabins, to 
note that they had arrived within three days journey of 
the village of the isonontouans, which is expressed on the 
same line by a cabni with a tree at each end, which is the 
people of that tribe, and the sun is represented at the east 
end o!" the cabin, to mark the direction on which they ar- 
rived at the villiige. 

7. On another line the arms of the same people are ex-* 
hibited together, with twelve marks of the tigure of ten, 
and a man extended in the act of sleeping, which proves 



AMERICA. 2^3 

that the village contained orte hundred and twenty warriors 
wlio were taken by surprise, as appears from the man in a 
recumbent posture, and deprived by sleep of his vigilence 
and senses. 

8. Then follows a tomahawk and eleven heads, to testify 
that eleven were killed — and on the same line are five men 
standing on a figure, representing ten, indicating that fifty- 
were taken prisoners. 

9. In the space of a bow are nine heads — meaning that 
nine of the aggressors of the vanquished party were put to 
death, and on the same line are twelve marks, to shew that 
that number were wounded. 

10. On a separate space are two flights of arrows oppos'* 
ed to each other in the air— which expresses that both 
])arties fought with vigour, and met with powerful resist- 
ance. 

1 1. The dispatch close* with a flight of arrows all in one 
direction — to make known that the enemy were at length 
put to flight, or beat in disorder and confusion. 

12. Recapitulation. One hundred and eighty Iroquois 
left Montreal the first quarter of the moon in the month of 
July, and navigated one and twenty days: after which they 
travelled ten days, and surprised one hundred and twenty 
Jsonontouans ; eleven of whom lost their lives in battle^ 
fitty were taken prisoners, nine were put to death as prin- 
.cipals, twelve were wounded, and the combat was fought 
"with courage on both sides. 

From the lent^th of my communications from this cele- 
brated place, and the extent, of what will probably be call- 
ed, my idle speculatictn*, you will understand that I got 
familiarized to the horrors of the vault, to which 1 have to 
add that I took up my abode in^it. The fact is, I thought 
but right to unload and overhaul my boat before I reached 
the Mississippi, and where could I be better accommodat- 
ed, during that process, than in the cave, where I had a- 
bundant space tor my baggage, and ample amusement for 
my leisure hours ? The apprehensions which first seized me 
soon wore off, though I cannot say my first night's lodg- 
ing in the rock was altogether sound and free from re- 
straint : we held an alternate watch every two hours, and 
kept up luTiic fires to preserve ourselves Irom reptiles and 
bc<;:sts. Nor can I say that we were comfortable : the 
place was too immense, and too much connected with tragi- 



2:54 TRAVELS IN 

cal events, to ^liow the mind to sink into indifference, or 
to relax into that disengaged state which alone is iavourar 
ble to comfort and tranquil happiness. The days pas.t 
more equal and serene. In the morning I fish tor my 
breakfast; before dinner I amuse myself in a ramble with 
my gun, and the evening is devoted to writing and visiting 
the works of my servants. 

I must not leave this without giving you an opportunity 
©f participating; a plea•^u^e of a very grateful nature which 
this desolate phice has but just now ati'orded me. 

I descended the river this morning (Sunday) about a 
mile, to exphtre a spot which portended indications of lead 
ore. I succeeded in discovering a very fine vein, and was 
returnin:^ with a specimen, when my steps and attention were 
-arrested by the sudden and extraordinary sound of xrhurch 
music, at one time swelling in the breeiie, and at another 
dying on the streiim. I stood m the attitude of one doubt- 
ing ihe existence of a fact, and falling into the beliet of 
genii and enchanted ground. It was a mystery I could by 
no means solve, and I advanced, aijitated with contending 
ideas ot supernatural agency, and ot the moral and ordina- 
ry laws of the world, which deny encouragement to ab- 
surdity and certain impossibilities. As I approached, the 
sound designated an anthem, swelled to a great pitch by 
numerous voices. Filled with awe and reverence, 1 hast- 
ened to the mouth of the cave whence the divine melody 
issued, and entered it at ihe moment that a devout multi- 
tude were casting themselves on their knees and supplicat- 
ing for the mercy and protection of a great and benevo- 
lent Providence. Without wasting time so precious in 
frigid speculations of so sublime a spectacle, I followed the 
bright example ; nay more, I prostrated myself in ihedustj 
poured out an effusion of praise to God, and implored him 
aloud to accept, in tnis splendid tabernacle, built by his 
own hands, the only tribute I had to (jffer, not the words 
from my lips, but the blood which emotion ejaculated from " 
my heart, and the tears which gratitude impelled from my 
eyes. Hurried away by fervid and holy passions, I never 
perceived that my instantaneous worship had no relatioa 
to the general service of the place. The congregation in- 
dulged me in so sacred an error. They were silent, and 
remained so till I recovered serenity, and cast off my sur- 
prise. They then continued and finally concluded their 



AMERICA. 2(>j 

devotion with an excellent prayer, and sound though bim- 
ple discourse. 1 have to tell you that the coiiJivgrrtion 
which caused me so much astonishment and reveicntiui de- 
light was com{n)sed ol about ibity religious lamilies, who 
have lately formed a settlement a lew miles back, and who 
have chosen the cave as their place ol worship. 1 had 
known nothing of this, thert^iore my delusion wa.s ai once 
grand and enthusiiistic. On casting u\j eye over what I 
have just written, 1 lind I have given you a very faint idea 
of the impression made on me on hist hearing the satied 
hymn. At times the sounds were wafted in their luii quire 
of melody to the ear, and again, mc-lting like the notes of 
the Eolian harp, they reached it in tremulous ana almost 
imperceptible vibration. 1 here was a tran.spori in the 
inyfeterious* and bimpje music of which 1 did not conceive 
myselt suscepliblr. It touched the most sympathetic chord 
of my heart, and awakened recollection, the most sublime 
and pleasing. 



LETTER XXXII. 

Hurricane Island—a violent hurricane— Cumberland River, 
the Tenassce State— its ptoduce, vommerce, Sft.— Indian 
tribes— Tenassce Hirer— the whirl— SAaxcamee Til/we, 
an Indian settlement— its inhabitants— interesting char- 
acteristics and habits— Indian gallantries— Sung of l^ooan 
—Shatcauce practice of physic— jugglers— xarious cus- 
f07ns— marriage and divorce— other luibits and traits of 
the Shawance character, 

Shawaimee Village, River Ohio, September 1806. 
I FIA VE at length left the cave. 
Three miles below is liurncane Island, notoivus for 
having been the place of residence of a party <^f \Viis,=n's 
gang. It was chosen for that puipose from this circum- 
stance. In consequence of the C(.ntraction of the river the 
current runs with great lorce : I calculated at six miles an 
hour. The island i. clothed with tine trees, and the or.po- 
site banks are level and capable of high cultivation. l>ut 
since 1 lelt the village of lienderson, I have liotscen twen- 



0G6 TRAVELS IN 

ty settlements, and I understand, the last three hundred 
miles has been little more than an uninterru[)ted wilderness. 
The river also is more dangerous than above. It abounds 
in sand- bars, and is subject to violent and tempestuous 
\vinds. 

On leaving the island, I was struck by an hurricane, 
which came so unexpectedly tfiat I had not tmie to pull 
in shore. It rushed up ihe river and raised a sea in which 
all our art was required to preserve us from Ibundeiing. 
When the boat was first struck ; she backed against (he 
body of the current, and remained a few moments m the 
situation of a ship that had missed her stays. The water be- 
gan to bear her down. 1 clapt the helm about, and suc^ 
ceeded in putting her head up stream^ whether she went 
with as much velocity as 1 ever knew her descend. INIy 
situation was still perilous, and was rendered more so by 
the storm which suddenly chopped round and made it ne- 
cessary for me again to put about in a dangerous channel, 
and amidst contending waves, 'ihis done, I n»ade an cfiort. 
to gain the windward shore which I soon found a very rash 
attempt. The hurricane tore the trees up by the roots, or 
laid them prostrate with dreadlul force in the water; the 
snmllest touch of one of which would have sent my boat 
to the bottom. Hearing ttie tremendous noise of the fall- 
ing woods, 1 had to keep the open river, bale out the wa- 
ter 1 had taken in, and iceep steady in the suck of the cur- 
rent. When the storm abated and the river fell, you can 
hardly conceive the elating ettect it had on me. 1 profited 
by a gentle breeze, into which the tempest subs^ided and 
ran without intermission tor sixteen hours. ihat time 
brc^ughtme to the mouth of Cumberland river, into wuich 
i put to repair my damages. 

Cumberland, or Shawance river int.ev^ects the boundary 
between Virginia and North ('arolina, sixty miles from the 
Mississippi, and again one hundred and ninety-eight miles 
from the same river, a 'ittle above the entrance of Obey's 
river into Cumberland. Its clear tork crosses the same 
boundary about three hundred miles from tiie Mississippi. 
Cumberland is a very gentle stream, navigable for loaded 
Ipntteaux tcreight hundred miles without interruption; then 
intervene some rapids ot fittcen miles in length, alter which 
iit is again navigaole for seventy miles upwards, unich is 
v'ithi!! two miles of the srcat Cumberland mountains. Jn 



AMERICA. m 

is at)Out one hundred and twenty yards wide through its 
whole course. This river waters the country called Te- 
iiassee, lying to the South of Kentucky, and has on its 
banks the principal towns ol'that State. 

'I he Tenassee State bears a very high character. It is 
bounded north by Kentucky, and part of Virginia ; east by 
North Carolina ; south by South Carolina and Georgia ; 
and west by the Mississippi. The climate is very temper- 
ate, and said not to be unhealthy. It is watered by seven 
I navigable rivers; the Cuinberiand and Tenassee which en- 
teriiuo the Ohio ; and the Wolf, llatchie, Deer, Obion 
J and llcelfoot:, which empty into the Mississippi. The Cum- 
' berland or Great Laural ridge of mountains, is the most 
stupendous pile ui the United States. It abounds with 
ginseng and physical ])lants, and contains sloan coal in a, 
^ast abundance. 

A few yi'ars bince Tenassee abounded with herds of wil ri 
cattle and buh'aloes. Elk are still seen in some places, 
chiefly among the mountains. The deer are become com- 
. paratively scarce. Bears and wolves yet remain, beavers 
and oUeri are caugiit on the Uj)per branches oi' all the ri- 
vers. 

The mam mouth, that stupendous animal formerly in- 
habited the Tenassee : his remains are often found. 

.Very valuable articles areexjxorted from the State. Fine 
waggon and saddle horses, beef, cattle, ginseng, deer-skins 
and furs, cotton, hemp and flax ; also iron, timber, pork 
and flour. 

The" State Government have very judiciously erected 
pul)lic schools and places of worship in the principal towns, 
and from all accounts the country is likely to prosper and 
fTouribh. 

There are still two Indian tribes within and in the vici- 
nity of the State : they are the Cherokees and Chicka- 
saws. The Cherokees have been a warlike and numerous 
nation; but by continual wars in which they have been 
engaged with the northern Indian tribes, they are now re- 
duced and become dejected and pusilanimous. 

The Chickasaws, of all the Indian tribes within the lim- 
its oi the United States, merit the most from Americans, 
having at all times maintained a friendship towards them. 
They glory in saying that they never shed the blood of an 
Anglo-A-mcrJcan. There is so great an ailinity between 



2()S TRAVELS m ' 

Chickasaw and Choetaw language, that thepeople can eoft- 
verse together, eacii speuking his own dialect. They are a 
personable race of men,- and have an openness in their coun- 
tenance and behaviour uncommon amono; savages. These 
nations say, they are a remnant of a great nation, that once 
lived far to the west, which was destroyed by the Spani- 
ards, for whom they still retain an hereditary hatred. 

The banks of the Tenassee, for more than two hundred 
miles up are nothing more than a wilderness: they are sub- 
ject to inundation, which forms an atmosphere 'unfavour- 
able to health. 1 had no temptation to tarry in such a si- 
tuation, and dropped down to the mouth of tlie Tenassee 
river, which is but twelve miles to that of the Cumber- 
lantl. Perhaps the world does iKjt afford a similar fact, 
that of three rivers, one thousand niilcs eacii in length, 
and separated" one thousand miles each at their source,, 
conjoin within the space of a {v\v miles. 

The Tenassee river, called also the Cherokee, is the 
largest tributary of the Oiiio. It rises in the mountains of 
Virginia, and pursues a course of more than one thousand 
miles, south and south-west, receiving from both sides a 
number of large and navigable streams. It then turns to 
the north, in a circuitous course and mingles with the Ohio 
about -sixty miles from its mouth. From its enirance into 
the Ohio, lo the muscle shoals, two hundred and fifty miles, 
itscurient is very gentle, and the river deep enough on all 
occasions, for the largest row boats. ,, The muscle shoal* 
are about twenty miles m length. At this place the river 
spreads to the width of three miles, forms a number of 
islands, and is ot very difficult passage. From these shoals 
to the whirl, or suck, the place were the river breaks 
through the great ridge of Cumberland mountains is two 
liundred and iiity miles; the navigation ail the way is ex- 
cellent for boats of forty or fifty tons. 

The whirlpool or whirl, as it is called, is reckoned a greafe 
curiosity. The river, which a few miles above is half a 
mile wide, is here compressed within one hundred yards. 
Just as it enters the mountain, a large rock projects from 
the northern shore, in an oblique direction, which renders 
the bed of the river still narrower, and causes a sudden 
bend ; the water of the river is of course thrown with great 
rapidity against the southern shore, whence it rebounds a- 
iound the point of the rock, and produces the u/iirlf which 



AMERICA. 269 

IS about eighty yards in circumference. Canoes have been 
often carried into the whirl, and escaped by the dexterity 
of the rowers, without damage. But several boats, nut so 
readily worked, have been sucked in and lost beyond rc- 
' demption, or vomitted up in the wreck, togefher with trees 
and stumps,, about a mile below. It is avoided by keeping 
close to the bank on the south side. There are but a few 
miles portage between a navigable branch of this river 
and the water? of the Mobile which run into the Gulph of 
INIexico. This river is subject to inundations. 1 quilted 
its mouth in haste to avoid vermin and putrid exhalations 
from ponds, swamps, and mud, exposed to the action ofe 
the sun on the subsiding of the waters. 

After leaving the Tenassee, a short day's run brought 
me abreast of the Shawanee village mentioned in a former 
letter from the mouth of the Great Kenhaway. My boat 
was quickly surrounded by canoes, containing men, women, 
and children. The village, consisting of about thirty huts, 
stood m a beiuitiful bend of the river and commanded a 
' delightful view of great extent. I put to shore with a view 
of passing the night with the real proprietors of the soil of 
America. My determination gave the natives great satis- 
faction : many of them jumped into my boat and worked 
her to land in a few minutes, 'i'heir behaviour was very 
orderly, even marked with studious propriety and correct 
manners. I was affected, notwithstanding, to perceive that 
' their only motive for approaching me was to beg or pur- 
*! chase- whiskey. Finding that I had none, they went off to 
their different pursuits and left me to my own meditations^ 
., I walked about the village unnoticed, and contemplated 
the scene before me without any kin<l of molestation. The 
evening was fine, the situation rural, and the inhabitants 
employed : their men in repairing canoes and fishing tackle, 
the women in preparing supper, and making mocasons,. 
and the children in exercising their bows and arrows, and 
dancing in groups under the shadow of the neigh bourin«T 
trees. All these occupations and amusements were carried 
on out of doors, in a manner as sinaple and artificial as be-- 
fore the introduction of liuropean wares. They remain ta 
this day the same primitive people, and are in no measure 
altered, except in the vices jhey have acquired in trading- 
With us, and a passion for drink, which acknowledges no 
bounds ov- moderation. It would have hecu dif'ficutt ta 

y 2 



i>70 TRAVELS UN 

contemplate this ruin of the Shawanee nation wiihoiU con- 
trabtiiig their present with their former situation. A few 
years back they consisted of several thousand souls, and 
possessed an extent of territory of one hundred square 
miles. They, were famous in battle, aud often drove the 
Americans to the Alleghany Hills. They were the first 
nation who raised the hatchet, and the last who buried it 
with bleeding reluctance in the ground. And what is now 
their history ? Tlxe whole nation is passed away as the et- 
tusion of the snow. It has wasted down, to about thirty 
families, who live on the bounty of their invaders, and on 
a spot of land limited to a certain extent. This melan- 
clioly fact leads to another reflection. Forty ye*ars ago it- 
was asceitaincd that four million Indians inhabited tbe 
banks of the Ohio and her tributary streams. The sword, 
the small-pox, and the poison of ardent spirits, have wast- 
ed them down to about two thousand, and who live in 
places allotted them by the States, aiid in habits between 
savage and civilized. 

The men are tall and well made, and are endowed with 
considerable strength and agility. They, together with the 
women are of a darker copper colour than 1 have hitherto 
liecn. The women's faces are handsome, and their hands 
beautifully small : their eyes arc larg'C and black : the 
hair also black : their teeth as white as ivory, and their 
i;ieath as pure as the air they imbibe. They do- not appear 
as athletic as Europeans, but they possess great activity , 
are indefatigable in rheir pursuits ; inured to hardship, and 
taught to brave all the severities of heat and cold, and every 
privation and inconvenience. The women wear their hair 
in a broad plat down to the small of the back, and never 
cut it on any account — whereas the men wear theirs short 
and cut itevery month. Their dress consisted of but as 
much as is absolutely necessary for decency. In winter 
the men add to this a blanket, and the wt-men a kind of 
garment which descends below the knees, and is fiustcned 
round the waist with a girdle. Bolh sexes sit on the ground. 
The houses are constructed of logs, and have more of the 
American than the Indian taste. They keep out the ele- 
ments, but are not comfortable or cleanly. The diet 
consists of roast and boiled meats, soups and fish of various 
sorts. I could not discover that they employed either salt 
<fr spices in ihdr tlbiK?i Tl-"7 aic \ery bealihy. end are 



AMERICA, 571 

exempt from many diseases afflicting those who use salt 
and spices immoderately. They are never troubled wilK 
the pals)., dropsy, gout, asthma, gravel, or stone. There were 
two men at least ninety years old among them. It is com- 
mon for the old and infirm to retire from their tribe and lib= 
erate life with their own hands. 

The entire village supped together at the same time. 
The prelude to it was a dance of an hour. The dancers 
chaunting singly their own exploits, and jcMutly those of 
their ancestors. Those who did not dance sat round in a 
circle, and mark each cadence with a tone resembling he 
he he. Immediately alter supper dancing was renewed 
and continued till a late hour with infinite festivity and 
good humour. 

On descending to the river side after my evening's amuse- 
ment, I was very agreeably surprized by some Indian boys 
playing on reeds at a distance. They were delightfully 

^wild and harmonious, and plaintive to an affecting degree. 
Nor was thi^ music played in vain. It was for the pur- 
pose of seducing the young women out of the village, and 
ot giving their favorites an opportunity of telling their loves 
in the silence of the woods, or on the borders of the mur- 
muring stream. On the subject of lov^ no persons have 
been less understood than the Indians. It is said of them 
that they have no affection, and that the intercourse of the 
sexes is sustained by a brutal passion remote from tender- 
ness and sensibility. This is one of the many gross errors 
which have been propagated to calumniate these innocent 
people ; and it has arisen from its being remarked by all 
observers, that no expresi^ions of endearment or tenderness 
ever escape the Indian sexes towards each other. They 
have been always seen to maintain a rigid distance, and tc 
be equally strangers to love afvd amity. But these observ- 
ers ought to have known that such reserve is only practised 
in the day-time, and that in compliance with a political- 
and religious law, which stigmatizes youth wasting their 
time in female dalliance, except when covered with the vale 
©f night and beyund the pryingeye of man. In consequence 
©f this law, gallantry isstrictly avoided during the day time. 
And were a young savage to tell his mistress before the 
sun was yet set, that he loved her better than he did its 
light, she would run from — or look upon him with disdain. 

■K-^r my part, I never saw gallantry cond4.icted with much- 



272 TRAVELS IN 

more mystery or refinement, than I did during my stay 
with the Shawanee nation. 

I returned to the village, where I found all the fires put 
out, and every object under the shadow of night and mys- 
tery. I went to ihe tent of Adario the chief of the tribe, 
with whom I had much previous conversation, and took 
him through the settlement to acquire some further know- 
ledge of its interesting inhabitants. We had gone but a 
few steps, when we perceived an Indian with a lighted caK 
umet in his hand. 1 learned from Adario that he was 
going a calumeting. That is a practice of gallantry among 
the Indians. To comprehend it well, you must know, 
that as the savages have no distinction of property, superi- 
ority, or subordination, they live on a footing of equality, 
and without the fear ®f thieves or of enmity from one a- 
nother. Consequently they leave their doors open day and 
night, and fear no interruption whatever. The lover takes 
advantage of this liberty ; lights his calumet, enters the 
cabin of his mistress, and gently presents it to her. If she 
extinguishei it, she admits him to hei' arms ; but if she 
suffer it to burn unnoticed, he softly retires with a disap- 
pointed and throbbmg heart, knowing that while there was 
light she never could consent to his wishes. 

This spirit of nocturnal amour and intrigue is attended 
with one dreadful practice : the girls drink the juice of a 
certain herb which prevents conception, and often renders 
them barren through life. They have recourse to this to 
avoid the shame of having a child — a circumstance in 
which alone the disgrace of their conduct consists, and 
which would be thought a thing so heinous, as to deprive 
them forever from respect, and religious marriage rites. 
The crime is in discovery. 

The day following I made some enquiries about Logan, 
a former chief of the Shawanee nation. He still lives in 
their memory, anil they often sing his praise in a funeral 
song, the literal substance oi which 1 have procured trom- 
Adario, but without any knowledge of its time or measure. 
You will be more pleased with it verbatim : 

" This is the song of the mighty Logan ; the conqueror 
of white men ; the prid'e of his nation, and the beloved of 
the Author ot life, lie was good, valorous, and warlike ;- 
the sMul of his army, and the executor of vengeance, life 
was the light of oui' campi; and villages. His hatchet war 



AMERICA. 273 

always raised up in their defence, and his bosom glowed 
with the love of his brethren. 

*' Logan, valiant and triumphant chiettain, may the 
Great Spirit, in whose defence you often warred, account 
with you in the Land of JSuuIs, and give you a garden of 
beauty and harmony, and a pond of water like the moon 
in her full, on which the sun reflects his light, and round 
which the birds and beasts may delight to play ! ^ 

" Young warriors of Logan's tribe, bear in view the bon- 
ers he reaped when living, and rlie glorious recomj.ense 
which awaits him dead ! May the Great Spirit prosper 
his work, and never permit his enemies to be avenged of 
him ! May his gardens flourish beyond theirs, and may 
the fountain of his waters have flavour and brightness, - 
when theirs are putrid and dried up ! 

" Friends of Logan, mitigate your sorrow j remember hi» 

actions ; improve jjy them; and. let this song go down troin 

child to child, to commemorate his virt'.ies and his worth !" 

I know nothing which merits more serious investigation 

than the Shawanee practice of physic. 

Such disorders as are common among them they treat 
with infinite skill. 1 saw a subject who had neglected 
taking remedies for a veneral complamt, which ha<l made 
such a ravage on parts of his body, that his flesh was fall- 
ing to pieces, and yet he was in a fair way of recovery, by 
drinking repeated draughts of a decoction made from cer- 
tain roots, capable of efl'ectually annihilating that dreadful 
distemper. The diet made use of in illness always consists 
in meat or fish-soup. The Shawanessc betray no fear of 
the loss of life from illness. They prefer death to a linger- 
ing sickness. When ill, their first object is to promote 
sleep and transpiration : if these fail, their friends visit and 
dance around them, or bring a priest and juggler, to en- 
deavour to effect a cure, or to amuse the remains of life, 
if it refuses to be prolonged. 

A juggler is a mixed character representing a mamae, 
physician, and priest ; or, to speak more properly, he is a 
mountebank, who, having escaped a dangerous infirmity 
supposes himself immortal, and professes to cure every 
species of disease by powers delegated to him by good and 
evil spirits. When in health, the Shawaneese laugh at the 
jugglers, and esteem them fools deprived of reason in par- 
oxism of some malady j but when they themselves ai'e 



274. TRAVELS IN 

violently attacked, and find their own remedies ineffectuaiy 
they send for the ju^<ilers, who dance, tell extraordinary 
stories, make horrid contorsions a-ud grimaces, leap, jump, 
and howl and raar, in the manner of wolves and other 
beasts of prey, in order to appear possessed and under the 
influence of supernatural operations. After this prelude 
a feast is ordered, of which the juggler and friends partake, 
witho_ut much feeling for the patient, who silently pines in 
tile midst of their uproar and enjoyment. 

Alter the repast, the sick man is carefully examined by 
the juggler, who exclaims aloud, " U the Evil Spirit be 
here, he is commanded by the Great Manitou'to depart !'* 
He then goes into a separate tent, dances, sings, and re- 
peats the howls of the wolf, and returns to tha ^ick, whose 
leg or arm he sucks, and casting from his mouth some sub- 
stance he had previously put into it, says, " There ! take 
courage, the F^vii Spirit has lost his charm, you now can 
be cured !" On thrs, he gives the patient the juice of 
some plants, which act as purgatives or sudoriflcs. When 
the j)rocess was attended with success, the juggler was again 
feasted and treated with high distinction ; but if it failed,^ 
and that the person died, it was a tormer practice to kill 
the physician on the spot and send him to the shades with 
him whom he had murdered. This custom no longer prevails 
among the Shawaneese : they only banish the jugglers for 
a time when the patient dies, to assuage the sorrow of his 
friends. 

Purges and sweats caused by vegetable decoctions, are 
the favourite remedies for all Indian disorders. 

The Shawaneese seldom pass ten days without enduring 
an artificial sweat, whether they be in good or bad health, 
and in summer, when in the highest state of perspiration, 
they pitch themselves into the coldest water they can meet. 
1 partook of their steam bath, but dare not follow their ex- 
ample in jumping into the river till perfectly free from 
heat. 

The village has a public bath in which six may perspire 
at a time. It is a hut, the floor of which is an oven heated 
from the outside with ceder, gum, and spice woods. The 
floor is perforated with two small holes to admit the heat, 
and is covered with furs to give it the convenience of a 
couch or a seat. When I flrbt went in, the warmth was so 
inlcube, and the odour so strong, that I could with diflical- 



AMERICA. 275 

t 
ty endure the situation ; but in a few moments I recovered 
resolution to remain, and fell into the most copious perspi- 
ration It was possible to create in the same space of time. 
It was so abundant, that it appeared more like a dissolution 
than a sweat, and caused me to remain two or three hours 

' in a state of supirie relaxation. I found its effects soon 
after salutary and beneficial, and am determined to repeat 
the sudation whenever the opportunity is afforded me. On 
leavmg the steam-bath, I went to the house of Adario and 
dined on squirrels and fish, which his daughter had careful- 
ly prepared. 

Wounds and dislocations they cure by the application 
of herbs, with whose properties they are well acquainted ; 
and, what is more remarkable, gangrene and mortificdtion 
never have been known to seize the parts to which such 
simple remedies have been applied. 

When one of the nation dies, he is washed and dressed 
with the utmost care possible, but no tears are shed over 
him. Parents, sisters, or brothers, in place of mamfeslmg 
affliction, rejoice that their relative is beyond the p-.nver of 
suffering, and that he has left a world which is only con- 
sidered as a passage to another and a better lite. When 
dressed, he is placed on a mat or bear's skin, and addressed 
by all his relations in turn, who recount his exploits and 
those of his ancestors, and then shut him up for twenty 
hiUirs in a small public building, called, " The Cabin of 
Death." During this period, the nation celebrate a dance 
and least ; and on its expiration, the Cabin of Death is 
opened, the corpse is put into a bark coffin, together with 
his hunting instruments and arms, and carried to the grave, 
followed by dancers, and the parents and friends chaunting 
hymns an«J songs. 

The marriages are so simple, that they hardly deserve 
the name, i witne.^sed no ceremony ot the kind, but I 
understand from Adario, that when two young pei-sons a- 
gree on the subject, they make kno^n their intentions to 
their parents, who are not at liberty to refuse their con- 
sent, it being a Shawanee law that the father and mother 
have no dominion over the person ot a child. All the 

^friends assemble at the cabin of the most ancient branch 
of the family, without respect to nearness of kinilred, and 
there, dance and enjoy a feast ot great profusion and i-x- 
tcnt. After this icstivAlJ all the friends of the party re- 



^76 * TRAVELS IN 

tire, except four of the oldest of each side, who require (he 
couple to stand on a mat and there attend to a discourse 
on conjugal affectioji and the charms of a chaste and ho- 
nest mind. On which the lovers break a small stick in 
pieces and give the fragments to thtir friends, who keep 
them as evidence of the marriage, which cannot, while the 
stick can be put together, be denied. This ceremony is 
followed by inviting the nation to dance, sing, and amuse 
themselves till a late hour. The n\'edding over, the bride 
is conducted to her parents' home, where she is visited by 
her husband till she bears a child ; and it that event do not 
take place in the ordinary course of time, the parents as- 
semble, collect the bits of broken sticks, see that they fit 
together, and then dissolve the marriage by committing the 
testimcny to the flames. Independent of this cause of dis- 
solution, both men and women are permitted to separate 
at any time they think proper, giving eight days notice, in 
order that the bits of sticks may be collected and consum- 
ed. It is worthy of remark, that these kind of separations 
are attended with no kind of dispute, quarrel, or contra- 
diction whatever. The women are at liberty as well as 
the men to re-marry whom they may think proper, but in 
general they seldom enter into a second engagement till 
after the expiration of three and six months. On separa- 
tion the children are equally divided : if the number be 
odd, the wte is allowed one more than the husband. 

Motwilhstanding this facility to change, I learn from 
Adario, that advantage is seldom taken of it — in his na- 
tion not once in ten years. And an inviolate fidelity is 
maintained on both sides, durinii marriajie. As soon as a 
wiie IS announced in a statt; of pregnancy the mairimtmial 
rights are suspended, and continency preserved with a re- 
ligious and mystical scrupuiarity till nine weeks alter the 
accom-heinent. When a woman is on the eve of that e\ent, 
she retires to a private cabin, /row uhirli men are excluded^ 
and delivers herself without any assistance whatever. She 
remains there, attended by a few female relatives, while 
undergumg a purification, which lasts thirty days U-x a 
girl, and continues torty for a boy ; after which she re- 
turns to the cabin ot her hu^!)an(!. The i)Oor child no 
sooner appears in the world than he is plunged into ().<;d- 
erateiy w^trm water, and then bandaged gently to a } i.-.nk 
lined witli cotton, and on wluch he is carried with great 



^ AMERICA. 277 

ease from place to place ; or suspended from trees, in the 
open air. The women always nur?e their own children. 
That mother would be la--)idate(l by them a^ a monskr 
who would separate herseit from her new born child. 
When mothers lobe children before tliey are weaned, they 
have recourse to a very afleciing- and melanclioly expedi- 
ent : they search the woo.ds for some young opossnni, kan- 
garoo, or other wild beast, and rear it with their niiliv wiih 
the utmost care and tenderness. 

The husband or wife dyini]:, the widowhood continues six 
months. Mourning is not in u-e. In a single state the 
Shawaneese are susceptible of jealousy ; m a married one 
they are ignorant of that passi^.n ; the inei\conceiving that 
n'^ person could be found huilicienily infamous to injure 
his neighbour's honor, and the women w<7uld uiti'er death 
sooner^han inflict on their husbarjds so flagitious a wound. 
^ A married woman made this beautiful reply to a person 
who met iier in the woods, and implored her to love and 
look on him : " Oulamar, u7/o isjor ever before my eyes, 
hinders me from seeing you or any other person." 

The children always take the name of the mother. On 
asking Adario the reason, he replied, that as the child re- 
ceived Its substance from the mother, it Avas but reasona- 
ble it should transmit her name to posterity^ and be a re- 
compense for attentions and trouble. 

VVh n a woman has lost her husband, if he has left any 

' brothers, it is expected that she should marry one of them 

after the cust^^mar^ period of vyidowl cod ; nnd when a wife 

dies and leaves any sisters 'lis understood that tliC husband 

shouhl, marry one. \ 

Amolig the Shawanees there are a few who observe CC' 
lebicy. They are treated with great consideration: — I 
could not learn why. Idiots are also treated with great 
re pect. Of the motive of this .' am also ignorant. 1 ha\e 
r (narked that when once a single woman bears a dhild, 
she can never after get married ; and I ^hould have added, 
that, th(jugli many take drugs to prevent this misfortune, 
there are many who prefer pregnancy, which entilles them 
to lead, without reproach, a future life, of freedom and dis- 
sipation. This^ass of wtimen are called Tckoue ne Ke- 
.oii.ssa, nymplhs of the woods, because they ate addicted to 
hunting, and associate with the men in all the perils and 
Z 



^78 TRAVELS IN 

hardbhips of the chase. The parents never restrain them 
from this conduct : on the contrary, they> appear to ap- 
prove of it, saying, that their daughters are mistresses of 
theirown persons — that they have a right to disposeoi them, 
and to act as they think proper. The children are reck- 
oned legitimate, and enjoy ail the privileges of those born 
in wedlock, with this difl'erence, that the chiefs and the eld- 
ers of council are not allowed to make them their heirs, 
nor are they suffered to intermarry into certain families, 
remarkable in the nation for military valour or political 
wisdom. 

Such are the particulars I have obtained respecting the 
Shawance people, in whose history I am persuaded you 
take an interest. 

The people of the village carry on a considerable trade 
with the boats which descend the river. They sell them 
furs and horn tips, and receive in exchange ball, powder, 
whiskey, tobacco, beads, ornaments and olankets. 

The land around the village is not of the best quality, 
and if it were, it would remain neglected. Indians seldom 
cultivate more than^ little corn tor their own immediate 
want. They have a very line breed of dogs, and domesticat- 
ed fowls abound about their settlements. As the Mississippi 
furnishes nothing, no boat should leave the Ohio without 
six weeks provision at least. I took advantage of this know- 
ledge, and tilled ray coops with fowls, and bought a couple 
of live pigs, 1 had no occasion to procure any thing more, 
for Adariosent me twenty haunches of vension, excellently 
preserved, and some bears meat well dried, in lieu of a 
little tobacco I had given him — an agreeable trait of In- 
,dian gratitude. ^ 



AMERICA. 279 



LETTER XXXIII. 

Massae fort — -the commandant's successful means of prevent- 
ing disease — Entrance o/." the Mississippi — a view of that 
immense river — St. Charlee^ Bon-hommei and N^ew Ver- 
saiiles villages — Osage, Kanovs, and other Indian nations — 
Kaskaskia river and town — Kahokia village — Illinois ri- 
Tcr— -other rivers joining the Mississippi, 

Mouth of the Ohio> September, 1806. 
A FEW hours after I left the Shawanee village I ar- 
rived at Massae, a fort garrisoned by a company ot regu- 
lars of the United States, and commanded by a captain, 
from whom I received much attention and intelligence'. 
Massae stands on a high bank in the bend of the river, 
and commands a very extensive view of hill, dale and wa- 
ter. It is composed of about twenty houses, the ofticers' 
dwellings and the soldiers barracks, which give it a novel 
appearance. 

Some years ago Massae was as unhealthy as the worst 
island in the West Indies, the garrison perished for several 
successive seasons, and the reputation of the place became 
so bad, that the soldiers deserted, and officers threw up 
their commissions when ordered an its service. Now, out of 
one hundred men there are but seven on the doctor's list, 
and only twenty have died within three years. A circ^jm- 
stance so uncommon excited all my curiosity, and brought 
me to the knowledge of a fact, that the unwholesomeness of 
America is to be ait 
delcteriousiclimaie. 

\Vnen captain 11. a philosopher and man of scienc*, came 
to Fort Massae about three years ago, he took a view of 
the vicinity of the town, and sought the principles of that 
malignant disease which had been so destructive to all who 
had before garrisoned the fort. He soon discovered that 
the back of the town was subject to inundation, and that a 
chain of ponds received the waters of the flush, and re- 
tained them till exhausted b}?- evaporation, a gradual pro- 
cess eftecred principally by the action of a burning sun, 
water stagnated, or drawn into the atmosphere, in a state 
sufiicient^co impregnate it with foetid smells and fatal poi- 



280 TRAVELS IN~ 

son. Having "satisfied himself of the causes of the pre- 
vailing disorders of the fort, Captain R. resolutely deter- 
mined to remove them. With this intent he employed the 
^vhole garrison in opening communications between one 
pond and another, and in making canals to the ponds both 
from the upper and lower part of the river. The first 
spring flush entered by the upper channel, passed like a 
nnll-coursc through the ponds, and as the waters subsided, 
carjicd all their foul and putrid contents through the low- 
er channel into the river. 'J'he following season saw this 
labour crowned with the happiest success; the vernal fever 
\vas suppressed, the summer liux was gone, and the autum- 
nal vomit and hoemorhage entirely disappeared. Nothing | 
remained but the complaints common to all parts of " 
the river ; such asintermittents, plcurasies, and a species of 
slow disease which consumes the body, extinguishes the 
natural heat of the jDlood, changes the complexion into a 
livid pale. 

The particular regulations which Captain R. sees observ- 
ed in the garrison contribute much to the preservation of 
its health. The consumption of whiskey is limited ; clean- 
Hncvss is insisted on, and industry rewarded. The men be- 
ing employed according to their original professions, and 
paid ten pence per day, over and above their pay as sol- 
diers of the United States. 

As the gentlemen are fond of sport, they find much a- 
jnuscment in the adjacent country, which abounds with 
game of every sort. The fishing is also good immediately^ 
Under the battery. Nor is sport a mere act of pastime but 
of necessity. The garrison, being furnished by government 
with nothing more than rations of bread and salt pork, is 
compelled to seek for fresh provisions in the*||v'oods, or to 
procure them from the Indiansin exchange for spirits, pow- 
der and toys. The Indians are a i^w Illinois settled in the 
rear of the fort. 

There are about twenty American plantations around 
Masae who furnish the inhabitants with corn, poultry, and • 
hogs, and at a much dearer ra.e than 1 have yet heard of on 
the'river banks. This is ov\ing to there being such tew set- 
tlements, and also to the number of boats who put in for 
refreshment, causing a greater demand than the supply c^n 
at all times meet. 



AMERICA. 281 

I left Massae with the seatiments which ought ever to 
occupy the mind of a stranger after experiencing a gener- 
ous and courteous reception from persons on whose hospi- 
tality and kindness he had no manner of claim, and gained 
this position in a short day's run of twenty -five miles, 
which afforded me no matter fit to advance your informa- 
tion or entertainment. 1 had lo be sure to observe that 
the river encreased in width and beauty, and that the cur- 
rent, though entirely contrary to my expectations, became 
so slujjgish, that I was forced to have recourse to my oars 
to make any kind of way. On approaching within a few 
miles of the Louisina shore, I discovered this strange eff-ct : 
it was the Mississippi, which, in awful grandeur crossed the 
m-'Uth of the Ohio, and, backed the water up a..Li;ainst the 
stream. The contention of the floods, the dreadlul ac- 
counts I had hearii of the navigation of the Mississippi, the 
magnificence of the objects around me, and the general 
impression created an inexpressible hensation of a view oif 
nature on- a scale of su<:h sublimity, diversity and magni-^ 
tude. 

Under these influences I lay by here under the point of 
land formed by the intersection of the two rivers, and 
sprang ashore, on the right bank of the Ohio. 

No river in the world can vie with the Mississippi for 
Magnificence and utility. Its source is ascertained to be 
three tk-iusand miles from the sea, following its windings. 
From nearly opposite the Illinois river, the wesisrn bank 
of ihe Mississippi is generally higher than the eastern. 
From Miiier-a-fu to the Iberville, the eastern is the high- 
est. It is so remarkably crooked, that from the mouth of 
the Ohio to New-Ork^ans, in a direct line, which does not 
exceed six hundred miles, the distance by water is more 
than one thouyand miles, in common seasons it generally 
affords fifteen feet of water from tiie mouth of the Ales- 
sauri to that of the Ohio. In time of flushes a first rate 
man of war may descend with safety. The mean velocity 
of its current may be computed to be four miles an hour. 
Its lengtli is various, fron) one and a half to two miles. 
Its mouth, is divided into several channels which continu- 
ally change their direction and depth. 

From the mouth of the Ohio to that of the Alessauri is 
two hundred and thirty miles by water, and one hundred 
and forty by land. The JNIississippi below the Messauri is^ 
'^ Z 2 



i.>S2 TRAVELS IN 

always muclrly. The current is so rapid, that it never can 
be steinined by the force of the wind alone acting on sa.ls. 
A bat;eaLix passes fronn the moiuh ot the Ohio to the moutli 
ot the Mississippi in three weeks, and takes three months 
to return with the help ot the wind ami the c<.nstant labor 
of sixteen oars. During its fl.^ods, which are as periodi- 
cal as those of the Nile, the largest vessels may descend. 
The inundations extend farther, and rather on the v\estern 
than on the eastern side, covering the lands in some placea 
ior more thon one hundred miles from its banks.. These 
floods begin in April, and do not entirely subside till th& 
v;t'. of August. Above the mouth of the Messauri, the 
iNlis^issippi is as clear and gentle as the Ohio, and nearly 
as wide: the period of its fl<3ods are nearly the same, but 
not rising to so great a heighth. 

'llie Mississippi \ields turtle of a peculiar sort, perch, 
trout, gar, pike, mullets, herrings, carp, spatula, a lisU of 
fifty-six pounds weight, cat-Msh of one bundled pounds 
weight, buiiaiije fish and sturgeon. Allegators abound, 
and h ive been seen as high up as the Acansas. It also has 
a prodigious quantity of hercns, cranes, ducks, brants, 
geese, swans, and watejjj^- pelicans swimming on its surface, 
and breefling in its Ticinity. 

• 'J'he Messauri is in iact the principal river, contributing 
more to the common stream than does the Mississippi, 
even after its junction with the Illinois It is remarkably 
cold, muddy, and rapid Its overflowings are considera- 
ble. They happen during the months of June and July. 
S;x miles above the mouth it is brought to a compass of 
aquirterof a mile's width, and yet it is navigable twa 
thousand miles upwards. It heads far westward of the Rio 
Nort'.'. The mouth of the Ohio from Santa Fe on the ri- 
ver Norte, is one thousand miles. From Sante Fe to its 
mouth in the Gulph of Mexico is one thousand two hun- 
dred miles. The road from New Orleans to Mexico the 
Rio Norte at a post called by the same name, eight hun- 
dred miles below Santa Fe : and from this post to New 
Orleans is about one thousand two hundred miles ; this 
making two thousand miles between Santa Fe Jiiid Nevz 
Orleans, passing down the North River, Red R,iver,. and 
iMississij)pi ; whereas it is two thousand tv\o hundred and 
thirty miles through the Messauri and Mississippi. From 
the Siiine port of liio NortC; j)assing-neur the mines of La 



AMERICA. 283 

Sierra and Larguana, which are between the north river 
aiui the river ISalina, is three hundred and seventy-five 
miles ; and thence passing the mines of Charsas, Zacca- 
tieas, and Potosi, to the Cit^ ot Mexico is three hundred 
and seventy-five miles more, makino; in all one thousand 
five hundred and fitty from Santa Fe t<» the city of Mexi- 
co. From New Orleans to the city of Mexico is then a- 
bout one thoUNand nine hunired au'l fifty miles: the roada, 
after setting out from the Red River, near Natchitoches, 
are generally parallel with the coast, and about two hun- 
dred miles rrom it, till it cnrers the city of Mexico. 

Thirty mjles up and'on the north side of the Messauri, 
is a vilhigc called St. Charles. It is of a toleraiile size, and 
the principle trade is with th*^ Indians. About eighs miles 
above this, the villa.;e and seitlement of B n-homme opens 
to view; twenty-six miles taither up is the village ot New 
Versailles; and about seven hundred and fifty miles above, 
a little off from the river, is the Grand Sors, a principal In- 
dian trading town. 

The Osage nation of Indians reside on the banks of a 
liver of the same name, eighty leagues from where it en- 
ters the Messauri on the right. They consist of al3out one 
thousand warriors, of a gigantic .stature, being seldom un- 
der six feet, and fretpientiy between six and seven in height. 
They are accused of being a cruel and lerocious race, and 
ar tea red and hated by all the other Indian tribes. From 
the mouth of the Messauri to that of the Osage river is 
computetl at eighty leagues. 

I'he river Kanous empties in about sixty leagues farther 
up on the same side, and eighty leagues up it, reside the 
Kanous nation, consisting of about three hundred warri- 
ors. 

Sixty leagues above the Kanous, and two hundred from 
the mouth ot tffe Messauri, still on the right bank, is tli© 
Kiviere Plattee, or Shalhjw River, remarKable for its 
quick-sands; near its continence dwell the Octatoetas, a 
nation of Indians ot abi)ut two hundred warriors. Forty 
leagues up Riviere Plattee, and far distant Irom Santa Fe, 
is a nation of Indians called Panis, in number about seven 
hundred warriors, who reside in tour villages, hunt but 
little, and seem^dispohed to foil av agricultural pursuits. 

1 he villages of the Moh^)S natjon are three hundred 
leagues from the Mississippi, and one hundred from the 



281^ ^ TRAVELS IN 

Riviere Plattee. This nation consisted, in 1791) of fivehun-. 
dred warriors. — I am now informed that tiie small pox has 
almost entirely cut them off. 

The Poncas nation dwell about fifty leagues above the 
Mohos Indians, on the left bank of the Messauri, in num- 
ber near two hundred warriors. About tour hundred and 
fifty leagues from the Mississippi, on the right bank of rhe 
Messauri, reside the Aricaras nation, to -the number of se- 
ven hundred warriors. This nation is friendly towards rhe 
whites ; its members have been continual victims of the 
Sioux and Mandawe>sees, who, being belter provided with 
fire-arms than themselves, have always taken advantii^e o$ 
the helpless situation of the friends oi white men^ and mur- 
dered them on all occasions without mercy. 

Farther up the Messauri there are many other nations 
of Indians — the Maiidan, Caheg), he. of \\hom very little 
is as yet known, either of their numbers, manners or cus- 
toms. But the Manduesses, who frequent the country be- 
tween the north bank of the Messauri and Mississippi, take 
every method to prevent all communication between the 
nations higher up and those below them; and when this 
is attempted they massacree all who tall into their liands. 

Kaskaskias River enters on the east side ihirty miles a- 
bove, and the town ot Kaskaskia is situated six miles up it 
in a beautiful plain. At present many of the buildings are 
standing vacant, and the place has a dreary and torsakeu 
appearance. It was s<^ttled more than one hundred years 
ago by emigrants from Lower Canada. ' 

Sixty milvs fiirther up is the village of Kahoki, situated 
at the mouth of the river of the «ame name. It is a con- 
siderable and pleasant place, and courts oi justice are held 
there for that part ot the Indian territory 

Seventeen miles above on the west side is the Messauri, 
and twenty miles above the Messauri on the east or right 
ha. id side the Illinois river enters. Up the Illinois are coal 
mines, and salt poi^h, a stone called fliche, Irom which the 
Indians make their flint and arrow pornts ; and on the high 
banks of the river, one hundred and ninety miles up, are 
red and white ce(iar and pine trees : and it is said that an 
allum hill is on a branch emptying into it, called Mine 
River, about two hundred and twenty miles up. Mulberry 
trees are t'ik-re large and numen)us ; Indigo has been rais- 
ed with success, and tobacco, hemp, and flax can be culLi- 



A1MERICA. 285 

vated with little labor. The sugar maple grows to great 
perfection. Fruit trees of all kinds succeed admirably, 
and dying and medicinal plants every where abound. 

About one hundred and sixty miles above the Illinois, 
Riviere a la Roche empties itself into the Mississippi, on 
the same side as the Illinois. 

Farther up, two hundred anri ten miles, Riviere a la Me- 
«c enters, and is navigable for fifty miles. 

Ouic(»nson River is one hundred and twenty miles above 
— navigable near two hundred miles. 

Black river empties in further up, one hundred and fifty 
miles, and is navigable one hundred miles. 

Buffalo River flows in sixty-five miles above — -navigablfc 
Kear one hundred miles. 

Sotau River is fiiteen miles above — navigable eighty 
miles. 

St. Croix River, with numerous lakes, sixty miles; these 
are navigable nearly two hundred miles. 

The above rivers all enter the Mississippi on the east or 
right hand side. 

From the mouth of St. Croix to the falls of St Anthony 
is about ninety miles. These falls are in latitude 45 N. 
and from the mouth of the Mississippi are .two thousand 
two hundred and eighty miles. Boats n^ay pass over these 
tails in safety in high water, but when the water is low they 
are very dangerous. Above the falls are numerous small 
lakes wliich communicate with each other ; and into a 
principal one on the N. W. side empties the Blue River, 
Avhich is very considerable, and has been navigated by 
French traders three hundred miles up ; so that, the Mis- 
sissippi, in fact, loses its name at the falls of St. Anthony, 
and from thence northward takes the name of the Blue Ri- 
ver. Admitting that the Mississippi still retains its name 
ab;jve the falls, it is said to take its source in the White 
Bear Lake, iu iat. 48. 15. long. 23. 17. west 



286 TRAVELS IN 



LETTER XXXIV. 

ZiGuisiana — its history — progress through the country — Cape 
Florida — Happle Creole — St, Genevieve — Lead- Mines — 
5^. liouis Town — -The Valley oj Bones — Confluence oj tht 
Messauri and Mississippi, 

St. Louis, Upper Louisiana, September, 1806. 

ON landing on the Louisiana or West side of the 
jMissibbippi tor the firfet time, I telt a ver}' proud and |)leas- 
ing emotion. I had successfully explored a vast extent of 
country, and I then arrived in one, to me, more perfectly 
new than any other, and consequently more interesting. 

The country East and West ot the Mississippi was called 
Florida by Sebastian Cabot, who visited that part of Ame- 
rica by order of Henry Vllth of England, about the year 

John Pontio de Leon, a Spaniard, arrived on the coast. 
Anno 1512, attempted a settlement, and erec'ed a small 
fort. The subjects of Charles X. of France, seem to have 
made several attempts to settle in the country, but were 
always defeated by the Spaniards, Until the year 1684, 
when M. de la Sale, discovered ttie mouth of the Mississip- 
pi, and built on the bay a fort which he called Fort Louis. 
The founder having been assassinated, the fort ,vas aban- 
doned until Anno 1(>9^8, when Captain Iberville penetrated 
up the Mississippi, and having planted a few settlers, call- 
ed the country Louisiana. Until this time, the Spaniards 
had a few forts on the coast, of which Pens.icbla seems to 
have been the principal ; fourteen leagues east of the lie 
of Uauphin. About the year 1720, M. la Sueur navi- 
gated the river seven hundred and sixty leagues up, and as- 
serted that he had not arrived at its source. From that 
time it remained in the hands of France, whose monarchs 
made several grants to its traders, in particular to M. Cros- 
sat, in I? 12, and some years after to the well known pro- 
jector, M. Law, who relinquished it in 1731. 

By a secret convention, 3d of November, l76'2, the 
French government ceded so much of the province oi Lou- 
isinani as lies beyond the Mississippi, as well as the island 
of New Orleans, to Spain, 



AMERICA. 287 

In 1763, it was ceded by France and Spain to Great Bri- 
tain, from whom it was conquered by Spain during the 
American revolutionary war, and conlirmed to Spain by 
treaty, 1783. 

By the treaty of St. Ildefonso, 1st October, 1800, which 
was confirmed by that of Madrid, of the 2 1st March, 1801, 
the whole province was ceded by Spain to France; and 
from France it passed by treaty and sale to the American 
Government, who took possessiori of it on the 20th of De- 
cember, 1803. 

- It now goes by the name of the Upper and Lower Loui- 
siana ; St. Louis being the chief town of the former, and 
New Orleans that of the latter province. Each has a Gov- 
ernor residing in the respective principal places, and the 
laws and administrations are changed from the Spanish to 
the American. 

The Eastern boundary is the Mississippi, the Western is 
not ascertained. The Southern is the Gulph of Mexico, 
and the Northern is the country of Hudson's Bay and the 
Lakes. 

J no sooner landed on the Louisiana shore, than I made 
for the only house I could perceive in sight. I reached it 
in a few minutes, and was very courteously received by 
Don Castro, the proprietor. 

He also keeps a tavern or house of entertainment, as it 
is called, adjoining his own dwelling, and furnishes travel- 
lers, merchants, and boatmen, with every accommodation 
during their stay, and with provisions, 6cc. 

When Louisiana belonged to the King of 3pain, the 
Spanish cultivators valued their improved lands at from 
twenty to one hundred dollars per acre. Now that it ap- 
pertains to the United States, they offer the same settle- 
ments for one dollar per acre ; in many instances for a 
quarter of a dollar, and some families of a high sense of 
honour and national pride, abandon their possessions and 
go into Mexico without receiving any advantage from their 
former pursuits, or the many years they consumed in the 
application and toil attending agricultural improvement. 
I passed but one night at Don Castro's. In the morning 
he provided me with a guide, and horses for myself and 
servant. 1 departed very early, as it was my intention to 
reach Cape Jarido, a distance of forty five miles by night. 
1 found the country very much broken, hilly, and so thick 



288 TRAVELS IN 

of wood, that the prosjJect was every Avhere intercept- 
ed. 

After a toilsrme ride, and an indifferent accommodation 
during the night at a Louisiana inn, on turning out^ with 
the sun in the morning, 1 discovered Cape Jarido to be a 
small settlement inhabited by a iew French Canadeans. 
Several Spanish families resitled in it a few years ago : 
they abandoned it when it became siabject to the laws of 
the Aaifr.can government. 
* I pur-sued my journey, and arrived at Happie Creek, 
/ twenty-fi\e miles from Jando, in time for dmner. Ihe 
! countiy through which 1 passed was hilly, wooded, and un- 
inhabited. Hupple Creek is also a smal> French setile- 
mi nt. The inhabitants, as well as those ot Jarido, live in 
the manner of Indians, rliat is by hunting, and in bartering 
the furs for powder, ball, a?Tns, biarikets, and spirits. They 
cultivate very little ground, ana build houses which are 
neither wind nor water-proof. On the same afternoon I 
rode fifteen miles farther on and stopped -at the house of 
an Acadiap for the night. 1 found him a plain ho^pltabIc 
man. He was a Scotchman by birth, a Frenchman by 
education, h Spaniard by adoption, and an American par 
force, V His name originally wis Gordon, but having .serv- 
ed in the array oi Spain, his comrades conferred on him, 
according to their practice, a nnmme dt giicrrt, sincf when 
. he has been kn.wn as Don Goidaho. 

The evening of the day I iett Don Gordano's, I arrived 
at St. Genevieve; and what was very interesting, I heard 
the bells of the Catholic church ring for vespers long be- 
fore I entered the town. 

i did not wawder irom the peal, but rode on with speed 
and animation, and put up at an iiiri which had strong in- 
dicati<jiis of comfort. 1 was by no means disappointed : 
tlie landlord, a lively Frenchman, looked after my horses, 
and his wife made nie a cup t)f coftee with as much per- 
fection as ever I drank it at the Palais Royale, or at tlic 
foot of Pont Keiif. After which, I lounged through the 
village and chatted en passant whh the inhabitants, who 
were all in groups outside their doors. The women at; 
work, the children at play, and the men performing music, 
iinojug songs or ^telling stoiies. It needed but a conp 
d'ail to discover in this the vestige of Spanish customs. A 
Tittic more observation soon convinced mc ot the justice of 



AMERICA. 2«S^ 

the conjecture. "St. Genevieve m'as once principally inliabited 
by Spaniards ; a discust to an American connection has 
driven them nearly all off; but their manners and habits 
remain with the French settlers, who originally resided a- 
inong them. Hence I have heard the guitar resound soon 
after sun-set, with the complaints and amorous talcs of the 
village swains, and heard the same hand, which toiled all 
day in the wilderness and in the waste, strike the tender 
'Botes of love in iJie evening. 

The custom seemed to pervade all ranks. Nearly every 
^house had its group, and every group its guitar, (idler, sto- 
-ay-teller, or singer. As the evening advanced and the 
.heat diminished, walking commenced, and towards mid- 
iiight the music of the village united, the little world 
crowded to the sj3ot and danced with infinite gaiety and 
mirth till past one in the morning. 7'he Waltz had most 
Totaries ; the Pets de deux next, and the Fandango was the 
favorite o( the few remaining Spaniards of the villa<ie. 

St. Genevieve stands on the West bank of the river, is 
formed of about sixty neat low houses, and contains about 
four hundred t^ouls. The present population principally 
consists of Canadean, French, and Anglo-Anjericans. — 
There are three public buildings, a church, federal court 
and market house. The church is a Spanish structure de- 
corated and improved by the French. At the uj^per end 
there is a beautiful altar, Xhc fronton of which is brass, gilt 
and enriched in mcdio-ve/ievo, representing the Religious 
of the Old, diffusing the benefits of the Gospel over ttie 
New World. In the middle of the altar there is a Crucifix 
of brass gilt, and underneath a picture, well copied from 
Ilaphael, representing the JNIadona and Child, St. Eliza- 
beth and St. John. In a second group there is a St. Jo- 
seph ; all perfectly well drawn and coloured. The action, 
beauty and grace of the Virgin are beyond expression, and 
the little Jesus and St. John are charming. 

The Genevieseans' commerce is tolerably extensive for 
their numbers and isolate situation. I hey export lead to 
4 great amount, and import fiour, British goods, French 
and West-India produce. Their profit or floating wealth 
is employed in the purchase cf land. l\\eiy Genevicteaii 
j>. a land nroprietcr. 

Aa- 



290 TRAVELS TN ' 

.Lands in the vicinity of wealthy settlements fetch five 
dollars per acre ; at a distance or near any Indian con- 
nection, they may be had for about two pence, and often 
less. 

The country about St. Genevieve, for a little distance, 
is well adapted for settlements, and has a few scattered 
ones, which make some shew of opulence and improve- 
ment. 1 rode fifteen miles vest of the village to visit a 
lead furnace, where any quantity of lead may be had from 
three to five half-pence per pound. The country abounds 
in lead-mines. Mines of antimony are also said to have 
been found in the bowels of the earth. Ihis.idea has ob- 
tained so far, as to induce a company of gentlemen of Phi- 
ladelphia, to send an agent in pursuit of so useful an arti- 
cle. I am not able to ascertain his success. I found the 
face of the land around the lead-mine very broken and bar- 
ren. The hills appeared cast together as in some convul- 
sion of nature, and exhibited rugged projecting clifts and 
deep yawning caves. 

This town, St. Louis, called by some Pain Cone, is the 
capital of the Upper Louisiana. It contains about three 
hundred houses, eighteen hundred souls, and several ex- 
tensive mercantile stores. Before its possession by the U- 
nited States, which took place on the 20th December, 1803, 
it was the risidence of the Spanish Governor. 

St. Louis was settled about the year 1765, by a number 
of French families from tlic East side of the river, and 
contained, in 1769) one hundred and twenty families, 
reckoned at eight hundred souls ; and there belonged to 
the village two hundred negro slaved, eight hundred black 
cattle, and swine and poultry in abundance. 

The town and settlement arc said to be very healthy. I 
believe, from my own observations, that the Messauri is 
more favorable to health and longevity than Irlre Ohio and 
Mississippi. 

About twenty miles above St. Louis, the Messauri emp- 
ties itself into the Mississippi on the West side. 

This place had formerly the reputation of being extreme- 
ly agreeable, and the inhabitants to be as virtuous as the 
people of St. Genevieve ; but since the arrival of a host of 
Americans, the conduct, the manners, and the pursuits of 
the inhabitants a^ changed. Billiards and gaming of all 
sorts, are carriccfon Xn a shameful excess ; and drunken- 



r AMERICA. 2^y 

ij«3% fighting, violence, and rapine are pursued with as 
much zeal as iliey are in the Virginian and Kentuciiyan 
States. 

The environs are full of gardens and fruit trees, which 
in the proper season must perfume the air and be highly 
pleasing. One of the entertainments of the inhabitants is 
to rove in the fields and gardens after sun set, and enjoy 
the delightful odours of the flowers, or refresh themselves 
with fruits of exquisite taste and flavor. The hills which 
lie to the south and west of the town, branch off in so' 
happy a manner, that they form a great number of charm- 
ing vales, enlivened and enriched by numberless rills of 
water. 

I passed on through these vales, and to the back of tlie/ 
hills in search of a quantity of bones said to cover a large 
space of ground in that direction. 

'J\vo leagues brought me to the Valley of Bones. It is 
three hundred paces long, and not quite so many wide. — ■ 
They lie in the same promiscuous manner, and are of the 
same numerous and extraordinary species I have before 
described. I dug up several bonces of immense magnitude, 
and some entire skeletons of non-descript animals. 

Returned from this expedition, I struck across the coun- 
try to the Messauri, to a place about thirty miles above 
its confluence with the Mississi|)pi. Having sent my horses 
back, I embarked in a skiff and descended by water to this 
place. The Messauri, at that distance from its mouth, 
passes through a vale, which it enriches and adorns to so 
wonderful a degree, that it scarcely can be equalled ; for 
the situation through which il passes and sports, are so pic- 
turesque, so various and surprising, that the senses may 
rather be said to be ravished than simply to be pleased. In 
some places the river f)rces its way through cliirs, and 
bursts impetuous through all impediments, and rages and 
dashes against the sides and rocks, and in others it spreads 
out into a liquid plain, grows smooth and gentle, and forms 
meanders through the verdure which it creates and nour- 
ishes. The junction of the two rivers is very beautifuU 
The waters of the Messauri being white, and those of the 
Mississippi a transparent green. They do not mix for a 
considerable time, but repel each other and preserve their 
particular colours for iive or six miles at least. The water 
of. the Messauri is so thick, that one third of a tumbler iS' 



5^92 TRAVELS IN 

always a strong sediment. The sediment, which precipir 
Cates very fast, leaves a water palatable and pleasant. On 
turning out of the mouth ot the Messauri into the Missis- 
sippi, 1 found the current running four miles an hour, and 
•iescende^ T^iih it to this place in less than six houw. 



HETTIiR XXXV, 



,3Iiii&ii6ippi Ricer—Aii evcr-grecn species of Plane Tr€'«-^ 
A curious Cavern— Chalk 5a;iA--~-Bayeau dc iShe — Ndo 
Madrid. 

New Miidridi or Lance le Grass, Bank of the Mississippi, 

Oct. 1806. 

IN many respects the ^Mississippi is far inferior to th'e 
<i)hio. The Mississippi is one continued scene of terrific 
grandeur; of unmixed sublimity, impressing a veneration 
iind awe, which are adverse to satisfaction and enjoyment^ 
whereas the general magnificence of the Ohio is chequer- 
(^l every here and there by a profusion of local beauties,. 
^w which the mind can relax and repose in safety and com* 
lort. However, I am too far advanced to recede ; and 
^rhall continue on to the end of my destined voyage, though 
] see it pregnant with sufferings and danger. 

On the Indiana side, above the Ohio, 1 discovered a re- 
markably line planetree, not of the common species, as I 
perceived from the certain characteristics it possessed, and 
trom being iaformed that it never in winter sheds its leaves. 
This tree has never been noticed as a native of America, 
that I know of, noiwith^tanding its utility, being of great 
bulk, and permanent beauty and foliage. 

I went in pursuit of a cave which I heard much cele- 
brated by the hunters, I had met with in the upper coun- 
try. 1 found it after infinite labor, for there is no pene- 
trating the woods without groping the way through reeds 
and vines, and hesitating at every step for fear of vipers 
iMid snakes. I was only accompanied by Cuf!, having to 
le*ive the other man to guard the boat, and ward off float- 
ifig trees, which would othcrwifje make her drift froi^i tkc 



AMERICA. sm 

b^nk. On discovering the mouth of the cavern we each 
lighted a large flcimbeau ot gum-wood, and entered a pas- 
sage which wound about like a labyrinth tor more than fif- 
ty yards, and at length led to a spacious apartment of one 
hundred and fifty paces in length, and upwards of one 
hundred feet high ; the form irregular, and the flo^i'^n- 
commonly rough ; the roof arched, and in several places 
rising out into large round knobs, some bristling with bright 
points, and others regularly dented, representing bunches 
of grapes, festoons of flowers, and lances of considerable 
length. The vaull, and sides also, were covered with in- 
numerable productions which represented the roots, branch- 
es, and heads of various shrubs, executed with as much 
perfection as if nature meant to shew the extent of her 
power, by operating m the vegetation of stones. The iig- 
ii^'es are all white, transparent, cristalized, and generally a- 
slant, and in different beds like the Judaic stone. The 
splendour of the place, when illuminated by torches, is in- 
describable. At the extremity of the cave 1 entered ano- 
ther passage, which had so many turnings and intricate 
wimlings, that 1 leared to be entangled, and made the best 
of my way out. In the mouth or entrance, which is six 
teet high and nine wide, my attention was istruck by seve- 
ral names and dates engraven ou the sides. Two ot the 
dates were very far remote, tliey were H^99 ^'^d l/l^. I 
had no conception that the river had been explored at such 
periods. The engravingS'are made out with great facility, 
though the letters are no longer sunk, but swelled out, ei- 
ther from the vegetation uf the rock, or from some adven- 
titious or external cause. When the persons were engrav- 
ing their names on the- walls of the passage to the cavern, 
little did they imagine that the furrowing wrought by their 
knives, would be insensibly tilled up, and in time advan- 
ced with a kind ol embroidery, about a line high in some 
places, and near three lines in others ; so that the charac- 
ters, instead of being hollow and concave, as they were at 
first, are now turned convex, and come out of the ri^ck 
like basso-relievo, or embossed work. The matter of theia 
is white, though the stone they issue fnjm is grey. Per- 
haps this basso-relievo may be a kind of callosity formed 
by the nutritious juice of the stone, extravasated inseiir 
sibly into the channelings made by the engxaver, . 
A. a 2 



29^^ TRAVELS IN 

Two miles belovr the rron red-banks, I carae abreast of 
a large island, called WoU Island, and pui ia shore to ejc- 
amine a place called The Chalk Baitks: I am of opinioti 
that the baiyk is for.ned of a substance highly esteemed by 
the a,ncients, and known to us by the name of Terra Ci- 
molia. The substance is a white chalk, very heavy, with- 
out taste, and abounds with a small grit, v;hich sets the 
teeth on edge ; it' is easily crumbled, but it does not fer = 
ment, nor has it the iea'^t effervescence when put into wa- 
ter; it only melts away and becomes soapy and adhesive. 
Being much at a loss for soap, I took several pieces of the 
chalk into my boat, and found it answer all the purposes- 
of that necessary article. It is veryclesnsing and pleasant 
to the hand, and my man has made a lye from some of it, 
with which he washes the linen, and esteems it preferable 
to soap. There is one good use of it, and I believe the an- 
cients employed the same material (if it be the Terra Ci- 
violiaj medicinally, and attributed to it the virtue of dis- 
persing tumours and assisting to remove other sources of 
disease. I believe Pliny mentions it, and says that it is 
successfully employed in cleaning silks and stuffs. 

Four miles below the Chalk Banks, I passed by ihemoutb' 
<ni Bayeau dc She, on the left hand shore. As there is no- 
ihing more formidable to the navigator than a hayeaiiy I 
must endeavour to give you some faint idea of its charac- 
ter and power.- 

As the Mississippi for the most part, flows through an 
excavated ridge, like an artificial canal, whose banks are 
elevated above the adjacent country, it is subject to ex- 
traordinary inundations, when in the highest ^tatej which 
form those exterisive swamps, that occasion the nuisance of- 
jnyriads of mosquitoes and otlter insects, and also supply 
streams called bayeaus with a body of water, which, issu- 
ing from the main river with astonishing rapidity, causes- 
a violent vortex, whose action extends a considerable way 
into the river. Boats once dragi^ed into a bayeau arc next' 
to lost, it being almost impossible to force so unwieldy a 
machine as a flat-bottonuHi boat agaiivst -so powerful acur-- 
fent. 

After a run of four miles, I put into a cove in a small 
wiljOw-island for the night, and a dreary one I passad at it. 
The moscjuitocs attacked me with unusual fcrosity, and 
the sail v/us toQ rvUcu lo suffer in^ to sleep on shore. M^ 



AMERICA. 59*^ 

efl1y amusement was fishing, and firing at some pelican*- 
which floated past me in the stream. I could get no man- 
ner ot rest from the mosquitoes,, till weary with their re- 
peated attacks, I lay down on the roof of my boat covered 
close over with bears'' skins. This expedient succeeded^, 
but caused as violent a sudation as 1: experienced in the 
Shawanee bath. It relaxed me so much that I had. to 
throw myself into the river to recover strength and energy 
suflficieilt to steer my boat. I left this- island by dawn of. 
day, and after having passed three other islands in th^ 
course of sixteen miles, arrived hereto breakfast. 

This town, which is situated on the AV^est bank of the ri- 
ver, and in lat> 36. 30 norths contains about forty log and 
frame houses, a prison,, and a church. It owes its origin 
to a Colonel George Morgan, who conceiving the site fa- 
vorable for the establishment of a town, applied for a grant, 
and obtained it from the King of Spain, then Lord of the 
soil. Furnished with the grant, the Colonel repaired to 
the Eastern States, and there propagated so exalted an o- 
pinion of his new possessions, that he soon prevailed oa 
numbers to embark with him in the speculation, and to 
erect a town and dignify it with the name of New Madrid. 
In the first instance the society were delighted with the 
situation, in a beautiful rich plain ; but experience soon, 
taught them that it did not run two miles back, that the 
front was limited to a mile, and that the vicinity of the 
SM'amp would render it periodically unhealthy. Add t0 
this, that an inundation occurred, which swept off th©:. 
greatest part of the new town, carried off the government- 
house, and laid a foundation for a belief that the entire 
plain will, in process of time,, be consumed by tlie river. 
In the last ten years the plain has lost one hundred yards 
iilong its front, and in ten years more, there is no moral 
})robabdity that the town will be in existence ; the bank 
on which it stands being a fine mould, of fifty feet deep, 
can make no resistance to the body of water which beats a- 
gainst it. It every hour gives way, and thougli the inhab- 
itants recede, and build their houses nearer the swamp, 
they find the river gain on them, and that they must one 
day perish in some untimely flood, or abandon the estab- 
lishment of the town according to their original intention- 
It would aj)pear to me, that as soon as the river subsides^ 
Ihe bauks; against which, it now beats with such unrenait- 



S^ TRAVELS IN 

tmg impetuosity, that it must change its bed, and water 
the immeuse regions of North Mexico* 

I must give you an uniavorable account of the inhabi- 
tants. A i^upifi insensibility makes the tounaation vl their 
ciiarj^cter. Averse to labor, inditierent to any motive of 
honorV occupied by mean associations without solicitude 
for the future, and iivcapable of foresight and reflection, 
they j)ass their lives without thinking, .and are growing old 
without getting out ot their infancy, all the taults of which 
they studiously attain. Gaming and drinking ai times 
rouze them from this supine slate into a depravation of 
manners, and furious spirit of outrage, which debase still 
niore the distorted features ot their muid. They are com- 
posed of the dregs of Kentucky, France and Spain, and sub- 
sist by hunting and trading with the Indians, who exchange ^ 
with them rich turs tor whisky, blankets, ammunition and 
army. Gardens succeed well : there are several about the- 
town, and some peach-orchards of great promise. Agri- 
culture is entirely neglecttd. 1 could not get a loaf of 
bread in the town, nor any kind of provisions whatever, 
though 1 otfered any price. 

The Romanchurch is yet sustained and service perform- 
ed, though the revenue allotted it by the Government of 
Spain is withheld by the United Stales. 



LETTER XXXVI. 

JJttle Prairie — Chickasaw Bluffs — A Jmrricane. 

Mouth of tlie Ozark, or Orkansas River, October, 1806.' 
THE Mississppi affords so little subject tor anecdote- 
or interesting description, that I have made a run of three 
hundred and fifty miles since I last wrote to you, in search 
materials for your information. 

On leaving New Madrid, the first settlement I perceiv- 
ed was that of Little l*rairie : it consists of from twenty 
to thirty houses, built on an elevated plain, whose extent 
is limited by a swampy boundary. It is a wretched sickly 
place, and would be evacuated, were the inhabitants not - 



AMERrCA. 297 

G^couraj^eci to remain by the trade with the IiiJians, which 
they fiivi piotitaule, though atiended by periodical, oa 
Father perpetual attacks ot sickness. 

The next and only settlement after the Prairie, is the 
third Chickasaw Biufts, making a distance of nearly one 
hundred miles without a habitation. The Chickasaw 
Bluffs are one huiulred and titty- one miles from the mouth 
®t' the Ohio. I should have found it a very lonesome 
stretch, had I not been incessantly employed in jxreserving 
the boat from danger ; from rocks, sawyers, and snags ; 
and from the eddies, gulphs, bayaus, points, and bends 
1»n the river. 

The attention is also kept awake by the necessity of 
looking out for islands, in order to choose the proper chan- 
Rel, and to pull for it in time, or before the boat falls in- 
to the race of a wrong one. Num'>'jrs of boats are lost 
annually on account of not paying attention to thi§ im- 
portant point. 

The Chickasaw Bluff is a very high red bank on the eas- 
tern side of the river. On it are erected a fort, barracks 
for a company of soldiers and a few artillery men, and 
houses and stores for two State commissioners, who reside 
there for the purpose of conducting the public trade ex- 
isting between the American government and the Choo- 
taw and Chickasaw nations, who live, by permission, in 
the country cast of the fort. The high plain on whick 
the buildings are erected, is very beautiful ; but, like th6 
other settlements on the Mississipj)i which I have mention- 
ed, is limited, and subsides into ponds and swamps. Ifr 
maintains about a dozen families, who raise corn, breed 
poultry and pigs, and supply boats descending the river 
with what common provisions they may want. Neither 
the settlers nor the garrison consider the bluffs unhealthy, 
though they are visited by intermittent fevers, and various 
other periodical attacks. The land is as rich as possible ; 
and in a gi\rrien beloaging to the garrison, all kinds of 
fruits and vegetables succeed to a perfection seldom at- 
toined elsewhere. The view from the fort is one of those 
grand ones which nature occasionally gives to excite admi- 
ration and wonder. Over the Louisiana shore, the sight 
has no limit ; but rushes unrestrained over an immense 
expanse of forests. To the right it is arrested by a fan- 
tastic bead in the river^^ where the banks are erabeUishe^ 



2p.» TRAVELS IN 

with uncommon beauty ; to the left it strays amid a clus* 
ter ot i^lalKls, through the channels of which the water 
meanders; and in the rear it rambles over cultivated iields 
and pasture lands, of much rural character and extent. — 
The view of the fort, on approaching it from the opposite 
side, has a very fine and picturesque effect. In consequence 
ofthe bend in ihe river, it is hurried on the viv'w from a ve- 
ry favourable point. In the distance, the principal bluff 
forms a noble object. Its Iront is shaggy and broken, and 
the interstices of soil are filled with trees and shrubs. On 
its summit, stands a lonel}' watch-tower ; on itS' brow, the 
garrison and fort mounted with guns. The gardens and 
improvements are elevated and extensive ; and the offices, 
and commissioners' buildings add greatly to the general ef- 
fect. You may not conceive highly of a view ot this na- 
ture ; but I can assu.« you, atter a long and dreary 
voyage, it has charms for the mind which cannot be des- 
cribed. - ^ 

In compliment to me, the governor invited all the gen- 
tlemen of the establishment to dine ; and a very sumptu- 
ous dinner we had ; it consisted of lishj venison, squirrels^ 
and bear's meat, with a profusion of wine and desertof 
Illinois nuts, a forest fruit. It was one in the morning be- 
fore we parted. Some of the party reposed under the ta- 
ble an hour before ; for my part, the dangers and tatigue*^' 
Ihad gone through made me too dull to get drunk ; at^ 
least, I could not have been so, or 1 must have broken my 
Deck in scrambling down one hundred and fifty leet of a 
steep declivity which led to my boat, in which I lay till 
roused by the garrison reveille in the morning. 

There having been no ladies at dinner the day before, I 
naturally concluded there were none at the fort. I was 
deceived. On going tb breakfast, by appointment, with 
the governor, I was introduced to his daughter, a very 
interesting and fine girl of sixteen years of age. She had 
lost her mother a twelve-month before ; and was left, in so 
desolate a place, without a single friend or companion of 
her own sex to mitigate her sutleiings, created by so irre- 
parable a loss. These unhappy circumstances ^have giv- 
en her countenance an expressK^n of sorrow, aiul modest 
confusion, which moves the heart of every beholder. 

I was much pleased to discover from her conversation,. 
vnhj^rwas luminous and elegant, that her father tak^ 



AMERICA. 1299 

•great pains to improve and cultivate her mind. She. has 
read much, and, I fear, of books which excite more re-* 
finement and senybility, than are necessary for the kind 
of worhl in which she is destined to live. When the dis- 
r course turned on the virtues and decease of her mother, 
her tine eyes filled with tears, and she silently left the hall. 
The father and I soon tollowed, and lound her reclining 
-on a little mausoleum, erected on a tumulus of earth, 
planted with cypress and yew trees. "This," said the 
father, "is the work of her own hands; the poor girl's 
mother lies buried here, and we often visit it when dispo- 
sed to sorrow, or when events bring her strongly to our 
rrecoUection." 

I respected such an evidence of affliction and tenderness 
too much to give it interruption ; and, therefore, turned 
through the garden, and made preparations to depart. In 
a short time I took a friendly leave of the gentlemen of the 
garrison, and pursued my voyage, much pleased and re- 
freshed by my stay at the fort. I had not passed some isl- 
ands which lie immediately below the bluffs ten minutesj 
before very strong demonstrations of a hurricane appeared* 
The wind suddenly died away ; the sun assumed a deep 
red, and glowed with unusual fury ; the atmosphere was 
sensibly discomposed ; the spring of the air relaxed to 
cause a difficulty of breathing : and nature reposed in a 
calm in order to gather strength for some intended work 
of desolation and ruin. I benefited by the tortunate in- 
terval, and pulled into the eastern shore, where I secured 
my boat, and waited, with deep emotion, the event of the 
approaching storm. A small cloud announced its inten- 
tion of coming from the west. That cloud soon dilated it3 
volume to an immense expanse, and moved with astonish- 
ing velocity towards me. The noise it made in the woods 
was like that of the sea in its utmost rage; and the havoc 
it made, was dreadful. The beasts ot the forest rushed 
howling to the water's eL\g,e ; and the birds flew agitated 
and screaming over it. The trees were heard to crackle 
and fall ; and as the storm reached the river, I could plain- 
ly perceive that it travelled in a direct line, leaving alter 
it a strait avenue of several miles extent, in which nothing 
could be seen but prostrate trees, and the stumps and 
scattered limbs of those it had broken. On striking the 
water, into which it hurled every tree on the banks, it 



3W) ' TRAVELS IN 

made it labour like a vortex in commotion : and as it pas- 
sed over the eastern shore, it again renewed its dreadful 
©peration, driving all before it, rending up the heaviest 
timber by the roots, and carrying in its convulsed bosom 
birds, plants, and shrubs. The eflect on my boat was 
terrible ; it drove her into the mud-banks, half way across 
}ier breadth, filled her with water, and covered her over 
ivith branches and wood, propelled from the opposite side ;; 
in fine, she appeared no better than a wreck. During the 
action of the tempest on the river, the men and I had t© 
jump in the water, not being able to hold on to the boat. 
The cloud, rapidly moving, having arrived at its destinar 
tion, or having performed its office of decomposing the 
air of ^uch places as occasioned it to possess most gravity, 
varied its coarse, and rushed to the southward with in- 
ca-cased violence and velocity. After varying from point 
to point, it ascended the river, and forced its way north- 
\?ardly ; in which direction, I perceived another cloud 
farming of equal magnitude, and as capable of filling the 
mind with solicitude and terror. This latter cloud de- 
scended the river. However, as the first hurricane had 
restored to the air, between the two clouds, its elastic and 
repulsive power, and true gravity, they could not approach 
each other but by very slow degrees, subject to pauses of 
ponsiderable length, silence, and terrible solemnity. Two 
hours elapsed before they came into contact, Ihe awful 
event was announced by vivid flashes of lightning, un- 
ceasing peals of thunder, and the precipitation of the 
watery parts in streams and torrents of rain. But when 
the two clouds rushed into the same circle, and formed 
but one immense globe, in the dark bosom of which the 
electric fluid began its direful operation, my reason stood 
apalled, and 1 thought the gates of chaos, hell,- and con- 
fusion were opened wide above me. The lightning which 
before flashed in fine lambent flames and intermittent flakes, 
now took eccentric, hostile, and zigzag shapes, which per- 
petually traversed and opposed each other, or else it form* 
ed balls of fire which shot in all directions through the air, 
rolled along the ground, or hiss(>d over the surface of the 
jvater : and the thunder, which commenced by single peals, 
continued with constant and dreadful clamour. 1 he ex- 
plosions never died, and the reverberations appeared to vie 
'vVijib t4iera ia. impetuosity and po'Acr. After aw haur'v"* 



AMERICA. . 301 

contest, disputed in a stile of sublime greatness, tlie north- 
fern cloud proved victorious, and descended the river, fer- 
tilized its burning banks, and reanimated a drooping peo- 
j)le with the refreshment afforded by its accumulated fluid. 
When the storm was over, I found I had sufficient to 
"do without investigating meteorological appearances. My 
boat was water logged, and so sunk in the mud, that I 
despaired for a long time of ever righting her. I at length 
Succeeded, but not without a labour which rendered us 
incapable to depart ; independent of fatigue we had abun- 
dance to do to dry and clean our clothes and provisions, 
;great part of which was entirely spoiled. Fortunately the 
gum-tree and cotton-tree are inflammable, and soon made 
an excellent fire, notwithstanding the late drenching wet. 
I found the storm productive of one good consequence ; 
,^t annihilated the mosquitoes within its range., and allowed 
^e to pass the remainder of the day in comfort and eaie. 



LETTER XXXVII. 



'Bdver St. Francis — Mule River — efecfs of thunder stofms 
-—attack of an alligator — Orkansas river — Ozark village 
— Indians — their adoration to the sun — their hymns. 

Mouth of the Ozark, or Orkansas River, October, 1806. 
FROM the situation in which I was last left, I mad<i 
a run of one hundred miles without meeting any remark- 
able event. The whole course was destitute, nor had it 
on either side as much dry ground as was eligible for the 
safe and comfortable residence of a smgle individual. At 
the conclusion of this dismal range I passed the mouth 
of the river St. Francis, and came to a beautiful prairie 
a little below it, on which I found one solitary dwelling, 
inhabited by a family who traded with the Indians up the 
river, and occasionally dealt with the boats which descend- 
ed the Mississippi. 

The St. Francis enters on the right or Louisiana side ; 
is about three hundred yards wide at its mouth, ajid is nav- 
i^ble two hundred miles upwards^ Near its confluence - 



302 TRAVELS IN 

uith the IMississippi, it is subject to inundations, but tc- 
wards the head of its navigation, it has high and fertile 
banks, which are thickly occupied by Indian nations, of 
whom nothing is known, as there are no white settlers a- 
mong them, and as they have never been visited by any 
person disposed to discover their character and history. 

I purchased some dried venison, and a few fowls, at half 
a dollar a piece, from the solitary settler at the prairie, 
fourmiles below St. Jrancis, and proceeded for three days 
iBore without objects to amuse or interrupt, to the mouth 
of the White River, which is one hundred and twenty-two 
miles from that of St. Francis. The whole of that run 
is also destitute of man, and exhibits nature in.disorder, 
on a large and gloomy scale. It appears to be the favour- 
ite theatre for the exhibition of hurricanes and storms. 
The woods are perforated in a hundred places by their de- 
structive career, and present avenues whose termination is 
far beyond the sight. The avenues made by such sweejjing 
currents of air are so very direct, perfect, and narrow, that 
they appear the efl'ect of art, and made jas a road of com- 
munication from town to town, or from state to state. Some 
are so narrow as twenty yards, and others are broad as two 
hundred. They are very magnificent, and produce sensa- 
tions of astonishment and terror. 

The long portion of water to which I allude, also exhib- 
its certain characteristics which distinguish it from the 
river above the Chickasaw Bluffs, and particularly from 
the Ohio, and all its tributary streams. The trees, plants, 
and shrubs are for the most part difierent, and consequent- 
ly piesent a figure, foliage, and coup (Tiril which not 
merely strike the sense as a change of decoration and scene, 
but as another theatre and country. Cypress-swamps of 
several miles extent, oak of great beauty and magnitude ; 
cotton trees embellished wiih their rich produce festooned 
from bough to bougii, tloating in the air, or drooping to the 
ground ; quinces, hazels, bending under a prolusion ol' 
fruit, and catalpas, ceders and magnolias, diftu^ing perfume 
over immense wastes, are common to the Mississippi Ironi 
"below St. Francis ; rare between that river and the BlutlSj 
and are seldom to be met with further north. The animal 
as well as the vegetable kingdom in the same situation, 
experiences a change. 'J his was announced to me in a 
very remarkable manner ; Iwa^ steering down the livcr in. 



AMERICA. 303 

a water extremely deep, and free of all impediment what- 
ever, when all of a sudden the boat refused to obey the 
helm, heeled considerably, and turned her head to the 
right shore. At the same moment some ducks, which were 
confined in a coop, tirmly attached to the outside head of 
the boat, close to the water's edge, made an uncommt)n 
noise, and fluttered in the extreme of agitation. Though 
inicli alarmed and perplexed, I opposed the helm and one 
oar to tile resistance, whatever it might be, but all in vain; 
the boat wheeled entirel}' round, and stood down the cur- 
rent, stern toremost. Hearing the ducks c(mtinue their 
clamour, I passed to the bow, and stooping suddenly over, 
nearly thrust my head into the mouth of a monster whu 
held on the boat with one paw, v/hile he was employed in 
rending off the coop with the other. I started back with 
precipitation, yet soon recovered, seized a boat hook, and 
followed up by my two men, attacked the monster betore 
he carried off his prize. I struck him several times with'- 
out making the smallest impression on his senses, or in any 
manner injuring his frame. The iron glanced from him 
as if resisted by polished steel, but on one of the men cleav- 
ing the claw with tvhich he sustained himself, he made a 
dreadful flounce, uttered a tremendous cry, beat in the 
upper plank of the boat, knocked us all three from our 
situation, and carried off the coop as the reward of his 
victory. The whole of this was atfected in a manner so 
instantaneous, that it renders it completely indescribable. 
When recovered from our consternation and tall, I again 
took the helm, and ordered the men to back water with alf 
their might, to afford me an opportunity of seeing the 
monster that occasioned us so much alarm and difficulties. 
He soon rose about fifty yards from me, and made into 
shore with the coop across his mouth, and his head, of 
more than four feet in length, considerably out of the wa- 
ter. I steered as near as I could with safety after him, and 
fired several balls, which struck and glanced off his body 
along the river. He landed, and to appearance, in one 
crush mashed the coop in pieces, and gobbled up my fa- 
vourite ducks, one after another, as fast as he could catch 
them ; for on breaking the coop I could perceive that sev- 
eral birds escaped abroad, and even took to the water, out 
of whicii he soon drew them. During his repast, I had 
full leisure to examine him. lie was a huge alligator, at 



^®* TRAVELS INT 

least twenty feet long, of proportionate circumference, an*^ 
with a head containing one fourth oi the length of the 
body ! 

'ihe White River, which also empties in on the right 
©r Louisiana side, is navigable two hundred miles up, and 
3-5 said to w^nd through a fertile and delightlul country. 
At its mouth there is aji excellent landing, where boats 
may be moored in satety. It is but ihuty-tive miles irom 
ihe mouth of the White River to the poist ot Ozark on the 
©rkansas River. The best and nearest route is to go up 
the White River about four miles, then across to the Or- 
kansas, through a navigable creek between the two pivers, 
and to keep up it about thirty miles, which brings to the 
vilhige of Ozark. Being encumbered with too heavy a 
l>oat, I could not pursue this rout->, but dropped down.- 
twcjity miles lower, and moored at the mouth of the Or- 
liansas, whence I date this and a former letter. 1 here 
had the good fortune to get a passage in a trader's canoe to, 
the village of Ozark, where I passed two days with much 
satisfaction and advantage. 1 shall give you the substance 
in a few words. 

llie Orkansas is on the same side with the St. Francis 
and the White River ; that is on the Louisiana, right, or 
western side. It is said to be navigable eight hundred" 
miles up, and to water a country of great feitility and 
beauty. These accounts must be received with much cuu- 
lion, and ought to be qualified by the facts of an unbias- 
secl observer. For the truth is that the immediate banks 
of the Louibiahiian western rivers from half a mile, to from 
two, three, and four miles back, are alone the parts which 
merit to be described as delightlul and eligible for agricul- 
tural pursuits. All the vast remainder is nothing more 
than a swamp, subject to periodical inundations, which 
supply ponds and lakes, and. send forth exhalations so ma- 
lignant and active, that they contaminate the climate of 
the whole region, and shed over the most distant parrs the 
seeds ol disease and death. The reason that the banksr 
alone are [Jiohrable and pleasing, is that the Western wa- 
ters flovv i;i a ridge above the level of the country, and re- 
Mmin dry, when the general face of the adjoining land is 
flund-ed through the means of the baycau and sluices, \shich 
are formed in the banks of all the rivers by the periodical 
excess of their water. 



AMERICA, ^> 

r readied the village of the Ozark on the second day. 
rfourid the current of the river very gentle, and the banks'' 
clothed with a profusion of the finest timber and shrubs, 
but sa choaked with cane that there was no possibility of 
ascending them, or of ascertaining their extent, except' 
through butFalo-paths, and avenues made by thunder gusts^ 
and partial currents of air, as before described." Through 
these it was easy to discern that the river, like the Missis- 
sippi and others, flows through a ridge? and that the ban-ksr 
for the most part, subside in a swamp on either side. 

The A^illage consists of sixty houses, inhabited by persons 
of several nations, and who reside there for the purpose of 
Conducting a very lucrative trade with the Indians, who 
resort to the village from the high country, and from the 
Mexican plain, with furs, for which they take in return, 
arms, ammunition, spirits, blankets, and tools and utensils 
of every kind, which the traders bring from New Orleans 
with great difficulty and expense, the distance being six 
hundred miles, and the current wot allowing a boat to gain 
more than twelve or sixteen miles a day, though worked 
with sixteen oars, 

I arrived at the village at a very fortunate period ; at 
a timevvhen it was filledvvith Indians and surrounded with 
their camp. They amounted to about nine hundred, and 
were composed of the remnants of various nations, differing 
in dress, habits, and manners so little from those I have 
already mentioned, that I have no occasion to go into any 
tedious detail, but confine myself to a subject of high in- 
terest, and in which they ditfered — the Indians assembled 
at Ozark were worshippers of the Sun. And the second 
day of my arrival^ being a grand festival among them, I 
had the most favourable opportunity of witnessing their 
adorations at the three remaTkable stages of the Sun's rise, 
meridian and set. Take the proceedings as they occurred. 

The morning was propitious, the air serene^ the horizon 
cWar, the weather calm. The nations divided into classes; 
warriors, young men and women, and married women with 
their children, liach class stood in the form of a quadrant, 
that each individual might behold the rising luminary, 
and each class held up a particular offering to the Sun the 
ins-tant he rose in his glory. The warriors presented their 
arms, the young men and women offered ears of corn and 
bFanches of trees, and the married women held up to his 
B b 2 



306 TRAVELS IN 

light their infant children. These acts were performed' im 
silence, till the object of adoration visibly rose, when, with 
one impulse the nations burst into praise and sung an hymn- 
in loud chorus. The lines, which were sung with repeti- 
tions, and marked by pauses full of sublimity and judgment, 
have been construed by an excellent interpreter into these : 

" Great Spirit ! master of our lives ! 

*' Great Spirit ! master of every thing visible and invis'- 
ible, and who daily makes them visible and invisible ! 

" Great Spirit ! master of every other spirit, good or 
bad, command the good to be favourable to us, and deter 
the bad from the commission of evil ! 

" Oh ! Grand Spirit 1 preserve the strength and cour- 
age of our warriors, and augment their number, that they 
may resist the oppression of their Spanish enemies, and re- 
cover the country and the rights of their fathers ! 

" Oh ! Grand Spirit ! preserve the lives of such of our 
old men, as arc inclined to give council and example to 
the young ! 

" Preserve our children, multiply their number, and let 
them be the comfort and support of declining age ! 

*' Preserve our corn and our animals, and let not famine 
desolate the land ! 

" Protect our villages, guard our lives 1 O Great Spirit t 
when you hide your light behind the Western hills, protect 
-Tis from the Spaniards, who violate the night, and do evil. 
which they dare not commit in the presence of thy beams F. 

" Good Spirit 1 make known to us your pleasure by 
sending to us the Spirit of Dreams. Let the Spirit of 
Dreams proclaim your will in the night, and we will per- 
form it through the day : And if it say the time of some 
be closed, send them, ]\Lister of Lite ! to the great coun- 
try of souls, where they may meet their fathers,, mothers,, 
children: and wives, and where you are pleased to shine 
upon.ihem with a bright, warm, ^nd peipetual blaze ! 

" Oh Grand, oh Great Spirit ! hearken to the voice of 
Rations,, hearken to all thy children, and remember us al- 
ways, for we are descended from thee !"' 

Immediately after this address, the four quadrants form* 
rd one immense circle of several deep, and danced, and. 
sung hymns descriptive of the powers of the Sun, till near 
ten o'clock. They then amused and refreshed themselves 
in the yillage and camp, and abbeinbied precisely at the 



AMERICA. 30^ 

hour of twelve by my chronomeler, and formed a number 
of cncies, cotnmenced the adoration of the meridian Sun. 
The following is the literal translation of the mid -day 
address. 

" Courage ! Nations, courage ! the Great Spirit looks^ 
down upon us from his» highest seat, and by his luistre, ap- 
pears content with the children of his own power and 
greatness. 

" Grand Spirit ! how great are his works, and how beau^ 
tiful are they ! 

*' How good is the Great Spirit ; He rides high to be- 
hold us. 'Tis he who causes all things to augment and to 
act. He even now stands for a moment to hearken to us, 

** Courage ! nations, courage I. The Great Spirit now 
above our heads, will make us vanquish our enemies ; he 
will cover our fields with oorn, and increase the animals 
of our woodsv He will see that the old be made happy, 
and that the young augment. He will make the nations 
prosper, make them rejoice, and make them put up their 
voice to him while he rises and sets in their land, or while 
his heat and his light can thus gloriously shine out.'' 

This was followed by dancing and hymns, which contin- 
ued from two to three hours, at the conclusion of which^ 
dinners were served and eaten with great demonstrations 
of mirth and hilarity. 1 dined in a circle of chiefs on a 
barbecued hog and venison, very well stewed, and was per- 
fectly pleased and gratified with the rural repast. Th^' 
dinner and repose after it ontinued till the Sun was on 
the point of being set. On this bemg announced by seve- 
sal who had been on the watch, the nations assembled in 
feastc, and formed themselves into segments of circles in 
the face of the Sun presenting their olfernigs during the 
time of his descent, and cr^^ing aloud 

*' 'I he nations must prosper ;. they hav.- been beheld by 
the Great Spirit. What mure can they want } Is not that, 
ha|>piness enough ^ See how he retires, great and content, 
alter having visited his children with lights heat and uni- 
yersal good I 

" Oh Grand Spirit ! sleep not long in the gloomy West, 
but return and call thy people once again to light and life; 
to light and life ; to light and life !" 

This was hUo succeeded by dances and songs of prais«, 
^hich lasted till eleven o'clock, at which hour ibey repair- 



368 ^RAVFXS IN 

cd to rest, some retiring to the huts that formed their camp^ 
and others to the vicinity of fires made in the woods and 
along the river's banks. I took up my abode with a Freiich 
settler in the village. I could understand that the Indians 
have four similar festivals in the year; one for every sea- 
son. They distinguish them by the name of " Days of 
Adoration." When the sun does not shine or appear on , 
the adoration-day, an immense fire is erected, around 
which the ceremonies are performed with equal devotioa 
and care. 

I must conclude this long letter with observing that I 
left the Ozark village, much interested in the people whose 
adoration gave birth to these reflections, and arrived here 
after a passage down the stream of ten hours. To-morrow^- 
t_ proceed, and shall write to you from the Natchez, 



LETTER XXXVIir. 

The grand Lake — Islands of the Mississippi — a remarkable' 
alarm produced hy the cries of a host of alienators — inter" 
esting particulars respecting these animals — Zazaus river 
— the IValnut hills andFort Macenry — the Grand Gulph — 
Bayeau Pierre, the residence ofCoL Bruin. 

The Natchez. Mississippi Left Bank, 
October, 1806. 

AFTER leaving the mouth of the Orkansas, I had 
Slothing lo remark but the great number of islands which 
continued to interrupt the navigation of the Mississippi, 
till 1 came to a place known by the name ot '* The Grand 
Lake," which is ninety miles from the Orkansas, the point 
ot my last departure. 

The Grand Lake, to my astonishment, I found destitute 
of water. It was formerly the bed of the river ; but, be- 
ing abandoned by it from some incomprehensible cause, it 
is now tilled with willows, makes a very extraordinary ap- 
pearance, which is -considerably heightened by an island 
standing in the centre, ornamented with trees. Ihe island 
and trees stand »o much above the willows growing in the 



bed of the lake, that the character of the lake and island 
are as conspicuous us it ihc one slili received tlie cuntents 
of the river, and the other was actually surrounded l)y wa- 
ter. The willows mark all the limits ot the old Hood ; dis- 
cover all the ancient sinuo-^ities uiid heads ot the banks, 
and shew the tigure, extent, and height of the island to the 
most minute perfection, Betore tlie morning tog was dis- 
sipated, i was witness ot a very tine phenomenon. The 
willows not being higher than thesurtace of the former wa- 
ter, perhaps not so high, retains the fog in the original 
channel, giving it the exact resemblance of the NewKiver, 
and making it ddubitul what course to take. 

The entry to " The Grand Lake" is now a sand-bar, in 
which are firmly fixed, trees, beams, stumps, and logs, and 
the sortie is in like manner choaked up and covered with 
willows and shrubs, it is several miles in circumfereuLe, 
and three directly across. 

Below the Grand Lake, and after passing several islands, 
clothed with cotton wood, I found the river perfectly strait 
for a stretch of thirteen miles, and of a very majesiic ap- 
pearance. At the extremity is an island \ \>rn to the com- 
pass oCa few acres, by the constant attrition of the- current 
against both its sides. It is ornamented by about a dozen 
trees. The time cannot be far remote when this little in- 
teresting miniature will be obliterated from the face of the 
earth, and sink under the surface of the water which it' 
once embellished with so much grace and picturesque beau- 
ty. Throughout tlus great water, this Father of Floods, as 
the Indians call it, in some places, islands are seen sinking 
into annihilation, and in others they are exhibited through 
*ll the stages of their rise, expanse, verdures and formation. 
Of the three hundred islands in the Mississippi, fitty have 
been created by nature since its first discovery by M. La 
Salle, and others are forming in a manner as perceptible 
as any work can be to the eyes. The system pursued is 
simply this : when the river is in a low state, the sand-bars 
take up and retain the trees, logs, roots, branches and 
shtubs which float continually down the current. Among 
these, the water deposits a quantity of mud, in which seeds 
wafted by tiie wind, and plants conveyed by the stream, 
germinate and assist m binding the infant soil. Succeed- 
ing years perfcjrm the same operations with similar efiectsr, 
^U the. bars a&suiue the rank gf islands, and gro\i to seye- 



310 TRAVELS I ^ 

ral hundred acres extent. The river then contains island*' 
of two distinct kinds, and form^^d tromdttferent intentions, 
*fid in a widely ditferenr manner. The rirst I have just de- 
scribed, and the second owe their origin to the'sudden con- 
vulsions which rent up the bed of the river, and left in- 
sulated spots every here and there standing, or else to their 
being separated from the mam land by a division of cur- 
rents which often occur, to force a pasage through the 
land, and thereby form islands, and eft'ect their own union. 
The meanest observer can distinguish the one description 
of islands from the other. Those that proceed from the 
gradual deposit of foreign matter on sand-bars, have a deep 
m "uld, composed of river sediment and decayed vegetable 
substances, which seldom produce wood of any other growthf 
than cotton, aspin, poplar and willows ; whereas, those 
which have been suddenly rent from the main land, or se- 
parated from It by the continued action of the water, or -. 
successive inundations, have a fine soil over a stiff blue clay, 
and are richly clothed with forest timber of the greatest 
magnitude and most valuable character ; these latter islawds 
are sensibly wasting away while the others are encreasing 
in extent. 

A few miles below the little island, at the sortie of the 
long reach, I passed a cypress-bend of sixteen miles sweep. 
Such is'the disposition of the riv^ertofind a passage througli. 
some portion of it, that my boat had to be worked the 
whole way to keep her from dragging along the shore. It- 
is the most laborious piece of navigation I have yet ex- 
perienced on the river. Weary with excess of toil, 1 had 
to put too under a willow bank before the day was quite 
expired, as I durst not cross the mouth of a bayeau, the 
vortex of which 1 heard roaring at no great distance, till 
we were all refreshed and restored. Having moored the 
boat in security, taken a repast, and guarded ourselves as 
well as we could against the attack of mosquitoes, bugs, 
ants, spiders, and (lies, we lay down to rest soon after sun- 
set, and fell into a sound refreshing sleep. I had enjoyed 
it for two or three hours, when I was started up by the most 
lamentable cries that ever assailed the human ear. The 
men and f instantly assembled on the roof of the boat, to 
distinguish whence the accents came, and to afford assist- 
ance if in our power. But they issued from so many di- 
rections, and expressed such a variety aiid number of pei*» 



AMERICA. 311 

8©HS afflicted with the deepest grief, that our reason and 
judgment were dissipated in wild conjecture, and we re- 
mained ignorant of the wretched sutferers, and of the 
dreadful cause of their complaint. It could not be Indians 
affecting distress, to seduce us on shore and there be put to 
death : it could not be the crew ol wrecked boats weeping 
and wailin» their forlorn fate ! repeatedly we demanded 
of each other what it then could be? We hearkened. At 
times the cries, sunk into the feeble plaints of expiring in- 
fancy, and again gradually rose into the full and melancho- 
ly swell of an adult tortured by fiends destitute of mercy 
and humanity. The lamentations, turn by turn, touched 
every string capable to vibrate excess of misery, and de- 
noted the variety of sorraw incident to individuals from 
the loss of health, friends, fortune, and relatives. Above 
all, they denoted calamity in the act of supplicating relief 
-in the strong language of sobs, sighs, and tears, and moans 
of inexpressible anguish and lengths What were we to 
judge of such proceedings? How were we to act? No as- 
sistance could be afforded to distress so unknown, and so 
diffuse. To fly the place was impossible, and to remain in 
it as terrible as death. To attempt to sleep still more ab- 
surd. We walked on the roof of the boat till the cries mul- 
tij)lied and e4icreased in a manner at once to shock the 
senses and deafen the ears. This violent outcry was follow- 
ed by plunges in the water and a rustling among the trees, 
which at length explained the objects of our dismay and 
apprehension. They were a host of allegators. We dis- 
covered them plainly, swimming along-side the boat, and 
running along the shore, where they uttered the piercing 
cries and heart-rending moans which originally excited my 
attention and, terror. Having given up all thoughts of rest, 
1 prepared arms, and watched for a favourable opportunity of 
Jiilling one of the creatures. It soon presented itself. A 
large animal, attracted by the scent of the living objects in 
the boat, swam repeatedly round it, as if searching for 
means of access, iind had the audacity to raise his head 
considerably above the water, in order to make his obser- 
vations more true. At that propitious juncture we all 
three tired in the direction of his underjaw and throat. He 
juade an immediate flounce in the water, roared as loud as 
thunder, and rushed ashore directly below my boat He 
then expired in dreadlul agony, as could be understood 



312 TRAVELS IN 

from hideous bellowings and the vioknc€ with ^hlch he 
heat himself against the banks. After his monstrous death, 
the noise of the other animals ceased, and I heard non« 
but very low and plaintive cries issuing frora several voices 
in deep distress ; so low, that they with difficulty reached 
the ear, and so plaintive, that they could not but reach 
the heart. The dawn disclosed the cause of this lamenta- 
tion which never ceased throughout the night. On going 
on shore, I found the alligator I had killed attended by 
sixteen or seventeen young ones, who were solicitously en- 
gaged aboHt the dead body, running over and around it 
in great agitation, and whining and moaning, because they 
discovered it without animation and destitute of all syjiip- 
toms of life. Though somewhat affected by such a specta- 
cle, I ordered the men to assist and secure if possible^ 
some of the young ones, and convey them into my boat. 
We succeeded in taking three. ' They are about two feet 
long each, and have beautiful blue eyes with an expression 
extremely soft and sensible. The mother, for it seems it 
was a female we killed, is nineteen feet in length, counting 
the head, which is three feet long, and five feet in circum- 
ference. The jaws, which extend the whole length of the 
head, are furnished with two large conical tucks as white 
as ivory. The upper jaw ©nly moves. The scales are as 
hard as iron. The shape is that of a lizard. 

Speaking generally, and from the best authority, the Al- 
ligators of the Mississippi are from twelve to twenty-four 
feet in length; their bodies are covered with horny plates 
or scales, which are impenetrable to a rifle ball, except a- 
bout their heads, and just behind their forelegs, where they 
are vulnerable. The head of a full-grown alligator is more 
than three feet long. The eyes are small, and the whole 
head in the water appears like a piece of rotten floatllig 
wood. The upper jaw only moves, and this they raise so 
as to form a right angle with the lower one. They open 
their mouths while they lay basking in the sun, on the 
banks of rivers and creeks, and when filled with all man- 
ner of insects, they suddenly let fall their upper jaw with 
surprising noise, and thus secure their prey. The tusks, 
which are not covered by any skin or lips, give the animal 
a frightful appearance. In the spring, which is their sea- 
son for breeding, they make a most hideous and teni.lying 
roar, resembling the sound of distant thunder. 



AMERICA. 313 

The alligator is an oviparous animal : their nests, which 
aj*e commonly built on the margin of some lake, creek, or 
river, at the distance of from fifteen to twenty yards from 
the high water, are in the form of an obtuse cone, about 
four ftet high, and from four to five in diameter at their 
basis. They are constructed vvith a sort of mortar, blend- 
ed with grass and herbage. First they lay a floor of this 
composition, on which they deposit a layer of eggs ; and 
upon this a stratum of their mortar, seven or eight inche» 
thick, then another layer of eggs; and in this manner one 
stratum upon another, nearly to the top of the nest. They 
lay from one hundred to two hundred eggs in a nest. 
These are hatched by the heat of the sun, assisted by the 
fermentation of the vegetable mortar in which they are de- 
posited. The female carefully watches her own nest of 
eggs till they are all hatched. She then takes her brood 
under her care, and leads them about the shores as a hen 
does her chickens, and is equally courageous in defending 
them in time of danger. When she lies basking on the 
warm banks vvith her brood around her, the young ones 
may be heard whining and crying like young infants. The 
old feed on the young aligators till they get so large that 
they cannot make a prey of them ; so that, fortunately, 
but few of the brood survive the age of a year. They are^^ 
fond of the flesh of tlogs and hogs, which they devour 
whenever they have an opportunity. Their principal food 
is fish. They retire itito their dens, which they form by 
burrowing far into the ground, commencing under water 
and working upwards, and there remain in a torpid state 
daring the winter. The carrion-vulture also destroys mul- 
titudes of young alligators, which would otherwise render 
the country uninhabitable. 

Much has been said of the crocodile lacrimXf or deceit- 
ful tears. Returned to my boat and departed, I carefully 
watched to discover whether the melancholy cries of my 
young alligators were accompanied with tears. I can as- 
sert they are not — nor does any moisture whatever fill t!i© 
eye, though the plaints are piteous to the most distressing 
degree. Food appeases their distress. When they lament 
aloud I give them the entrails and livers of fowls, which 
they are most fond of, and they immediately cease. They 
are very vicious : tiiey at times m;ike a sudden snap at my 
Angers, and once bit the leg of my dog, since which time, 
C c 



314 TRAVELS IN 

he keeps at a distance from them. Perhaps he sets an ex- 
ample which I ought to imitate; but I am determined to 
rear them up and bring them with me to England. "■ 

The Yazous River is the next important object, and is 
■ninety-three miles from the Grand Lake. 1 put into it as 
a place of rest, and was disappointed, having passed a 
'iiight undisturbed, except by the complaints of my new 
companions, who were not entirely reconciled to their a- 
bode. 

The Yazous is on the eastern, or left hand side of the 
Mississippi going down. It is a very beautiful river. It 
rises in the country of the Chickasavvs, runs through the 
State of Georgia, and falls into the Mississippi in a S. by 
W. direction ; computed to be four hundred miles from 
New Orleans, It is navigable but one hundred miles up- 
wards. 

Thirteen miles below the Yazous speculation, or rirer, 
are the Walnut Hill, and Fort -M'Henry. — The Walnut 
Hill, is without exception, the most beautiful eminence 
on the Mississippi, or perhaps on any other river. It is on 
the east side, commanding an extensive land and water 
view of several miles in every direction. In the time of 
theSpaniards, the fort was mounted with guns, manned, and 
J*kept in repair; and there were houses for the accommoda- 
tion of the men, officers^ and commandant. At present th« 
public institutions are in ruins, and the whole place is oc- 
cupied but by five or six settlers, who cultivate cotton, in- 
digo, wheat, and Indian corn. The settlers are wealthy, 
keep a number of negroe slaves each, and appear content 
with their situation, though they are every man, woman, 
and child in a wretched state of health. And if the Wal- 
nut Hill be n®t healthy, every other part of the Mississippi 
must, in truth and of necessity, be indisputably unwhole- 
some and bad. Fruit comes to great perfection at the Hill? 
and fig trees, introduced by the Spaniards, grow to great 
<?xcellence and heigh th. I'he soil is as rich as that of the 
best garden about London. The Hill in the rear is bound- 
ed by a swamp. 

From the Walnut Hill to the Grand Gulph is a distance 
of forty-eight miles. I arrived in its vicinity towards 
evening, but was deterred from passing it till morning, in 
consequence of the frightful reports often made to me re- 
specting its difhculty, and the many boats it annually swal- 



AMERICA, 315 

lows up. I put up within hearing of its ripple, and was a- 
gain interrupted at night by the cries of crocodiles, and 
the deep toned sighs they emit. 1 should tell you that my 
own little ones thrive well, and take on them all the airs 
of a pet. They take their food oiit of my hand, and by 
their voice express much satisfaction whenever they are 
bathed. There is little doubt but that they will survive. 
Early in the morning I explored the passage of the Grand 
Gulph in my canoe. The river is more than a mile wide. 
The channel occupies the centre, and the sides consist of 
two immense gulphs, which contract the channel to a very 
diminutive space, — not four feet broader than an ordinary^ 
boat. It' must be passed notwithstanding. Stimulated by 
this necessity I returned to my boat, and steered her for 
the gulph, in a stream of extraordinary impetuosity and 
strength. In a few moments I run into the main channel, 
and held it secure by the dint of steering and rowing, while 
I saw several large trees and logs sucked into the vortex on 
either side, whirled round and round, and drawn to the 
bottom. At one instant the stern of the" boat swung into 
the eddy of the gulph ! The power of the oars restored her 
to the channel ; and twenty minutes placed us in safe wa- 
ter, and a more gentle current. It is by far the most dan- 
gerous part of the Mississippi, and is full of hazards, which 
can never be pointed out or described. 
' The hospitable and comfortable residence of Coloiiel 
Bruin, is at Fayeau Bierre, eleven miles below the Grand 
Gulph. The Colonel, to whom I had a letter from his 
friend Burr, received me v.ith great kindness and cordiali- 
ty, and I spent a pleasant afternoon at his house. There 
is no settlement so extensive as the Coloners above him on 
the river. He keeps one hundred negroes, and makes, by 
their labor, ten thousand dollars a year. He principally 
cultivates cotton. The wheat, corn, &c. which he raises 
are only for his domestic use. There is a settlement on 
the east side, just above Colonel Bruin's, occupied by a-^ 
bout twenty New England families, which is also doing 
well. They raise great quantities of cotton, and make some 
portion of it into thread, which they manufacture into cot- 
ton cloth, and sell for a dollar per yard. On the whole, 
I was glad to see an appearance of civilization and industry,- 
and 1 understood from the Colonel, that from his house to 
-Kew Orleans, settlements and villages; at very short inter- 



Jl6 TRAVELS IN 

vals, are to be found. Nine miles from the Colonel-s n 
the " Petite Giilph," the uavigation of which requires 
nearly as much attention as the Grand Gulph ; and tweiyty 
sevin miles below is the city of Natchez. 



LETTER XXXIX. 



Siilchcz cilij — its trade and luxury — territory of the Missis- 
sippi — Natchez Indians — their adorations. 

City of Natchez, Mississippi Territory, October, 1806. 

THIS city is pleasantly situated on a considerable 
eminence on the east side of the river. It contains about 
three hundred houses, and two thousand five hundred in- 
Labitajits, including blacks, vi'hoare very numerous. There 
is a j5rinting-oiIice and several very extensive mercantile 
stores. There is also a Roman Catholic Church, but the 
Americans have stripped it of its Spanish possessions, shut 
xip the church, and have not yet erected one of their ov/n. 
^ihere is a great num.ber of mechanics in the city, whose 
wages are very high, as is labour of every kind. The mar- 
ket is proportionably extravagant. Every article, except 
venison and game, is as dear as in London. 1 he citizens,, 
however, are enabled to endure the high price of provi- 
«ions, by their trade between New Orleans and the back 
and upper country. 

Cotton is cultivated in the neighbourhood to such per- 
fection, and with such advantages, that many of the citizens 
have been induced to purchase farms, and turn all their 
attention to rearing and preparing that article for exporta- 
tion, 'i heir profit is so considerable, that^. both in town 
and country, they live in the style of eastern luxuiy. I 
dined in several places where the dinner consisted of three 
courses and a desert, where the service was of solid plate, 
where a negro, magnificently dressed, stood behind every 
chair, and where tlie air was kept in circulation by little 
girls employed in pulling variegated fans suspended from 
the centre of the room. At one of those houses of sump- 
tuous entertainment, the proprietor infuimed me^ that his 



AMERICA. 317 

crop of cotton of that year was estimated at forty thou* 
sand dollars. There, many of the cotton plantations yield 
from tive thousand to twenty thousand dollars a year. The 
owners indulge in every luxury, and set an example of dis- 
sipation, which at this moment pervades the city and ter- 
ritory. The vice of the Natchez is proverbial through , 
America. But dreadfully have the wretched citizens to suf- * 
fer for their profligacy and licentiousness. A confirmed 
and hereditary venereal disease, contracted by an unre- 
strained intercourse with Africar/, Indians, and Mestizoes, 
has established its malignant empire in the city and seve- 
ral other parts of the territory ; and all the arts of medi- 
cine have hitherto proved unequal to counteract its effects, 
or to restrain its progress. — Therefore, when Itell you of 
people living in the most affluent profusion, you are not to 
encourage a belief that they are happy. In the midst of 
that profusion, at the very table loaded with delicacies and 
provided with a variety of the richest wines, 1 have seen ap-- 
petite wanted, and the seeds of debility and the clouds of 
disease casting a gloom over every countenance, and sal- 
lowing every face. Blinded by the prospect of speedy ac^- 
quirements of wealth, persons come to this place without 
considering that it is unhealthy to a dangerous excess; on 
making the discovery, the passion for riches subdues the 
terrors of disease, and they remain exanimate for a time, 
or fall early victims to their avarice and imprudence. Not- 
withstanding the prevalence of sickness through the terri- 
tory, there are not warning persons to recommend it as 
*' the most benign and healthy climate in the world.'' 

The principal persons of wealth send their children for 
instruction, and to avoid such pestilence, to the New Eiig- 
land States — a distance of three thousand miles. There is 
an academy here, but it is much neglected. Gambling 
and horse-racing are the prevailing amusements. In win- 
ter there are balls and concerts — 1 cannot say how elegant 
or chaste, not having seen many of the ladies by whom 
they are trequented, they, lor the most part, being at their 
summer residences, scattered around the city. The men 
drink profusely. It is difficult to escape from their pariies" 
under three bottles of wine a man. 



..; c M 



^18 TRAVELS IN 



The territory of the Mississippi is of the following gene- 
ral description : 

Miles 
Length 384 ) -f> ^ jl*' and 32" 23 ' North Latitude. 

Breadth 100 \ ^erween ^ ^„ ^^, ^^^ ^^^ ^q, y^,^ Longiinde. 

Bounded north by a line running due east from the mouth 
of the Yazous river^ at its junction with the JNJississippi, 
to the Chatakoocha or Appalachicola river ; east, by this 
last mentioned river; south, by the 31^ of north latitude; 
(which is the boundary between the United States and 
West Florida;) and west, by the river Mississippi, which 
separates it from Louisiana. 

This territory is well watered by a number of small ri- 
vers and their branches, and several large streams, wiiich 
mostly run through its whole extent. 

The black, or Little Yazous, empties into the INIissii^sippi, 
about fifty miles below the Walnut Hills, near the south 
side of the Great Yazous. 

Stony Creek, or Bia Pierre, and Cole's Creek, empty in- 
o the Mississippi : the former ten miles below Black River, 
and the latter twenty-five miles above the Natchez. 

Ilamichitta and Butfaloe, near Loftus's Heights, are the 
most southern waters in this territory that empty into the 
Mississippi. 

Amite rises in about the thirt3r-third degree in nortli 
latitude, and pursuing a southerly course, empties into lake 
Pontchartrain, being apart of what was formerly called 
Iberville. 

Pearl extends through the whole territory, from north 
to south, and discharges itself near the entrance of Pont- 
4'hartrain. 

Pascagoola has its source near the northern parts of the 
territory, and empties into the bay or gulph of Mexico. 

ISIobile, or Tombeckbe, is a very considerable river, 
whose source is about the 35° of north latitude. It a- 
bounds with numerous branches^ watering fine intervals of 
land, where the Chickasaw Indians have many ttnvns. ' 
About sixty niiles from tlie boundary line, up the Mobile, 
;ire ^Valker's shoals, the head of tide water. 

Alibama, or 'I'allapoosa, is a considerable river, and '■ 
unites with the ]^,Iobile about ten miles north of the line, 
and receives the waters of the Abocoocho or Cohawba, 
whojc- sources interlock with the waters of the Tcna.see. 



AMERICA. 3}9:^ 

Esca-mbla and Concugh, or Pensacola rivers, which 
unite in West Florida, empty into the bay of Pensacola. 

Chatahoocha, or Appalachicola, takes its rise at the foot' 
of the great range of mountains in the north-east part of' 
Georgia. 

The whole territory is low and flat, interspersed however 
with rising grounds, at some distance from the rivers, which 
are generally bounded by swamps and cane grounds. 
These, together with numerous ponds, lakes and marshes, 
render the climate unhealthy. In the months of August, 
September and October, the fevers become predominant 
and contagious. The soil is sandy. The chief productions 
are cotton, rice, Indian corn and indigo. The prx)duce of 
these is abundant and of high quality. The culture of in- 
digo is nearly renounced. After several years of sad cx= 
perience, the planters at length found out, that, on an aver- 
age, it killed every negroe employed in its culture in the 
short space of five years. Notwithstanding this monstrous 
discovery, there are still a few who pursue this murderous 
trafitic. The poor slaves they employ are reduced to mere 
skeletons, and exhibit the number of theirdays in a poison- 
ed aspect, and the melancholy expression of langour and 
debility which mark their countenance and frame. So well 
assured are the indigo planters of the number of days their 
slaves have to live, that it is a common practice with them 
to send them to New Orleans market for sale, before the 
expiration of the average period of five years, and there 
buy new wrelches to undergo the same toil, and be des- 
tined the same short sp^xe to live. But it is now so gene- 
rally understood at New Orleans, and elsewhere, that In- 
digo slaves have the fountain of life irrevocably corrupted, 
that little or no price can be obtained ior them, and for the 
future it is probable they will be permitted to die on the 
spot where they are poisoned, without being exposed to ^ 
the degradation of being dragged through the cour-try, and 
put up to sale at public auction before an insulting and 
unfoeling multitude. 

1 took a ride into the interior to visit the remains of the 
nation of the Natchcii Indians, once the most powerful and 
enlightened people of all the continent of America. Their 
tradition says, they came from South America, and indeed 
their habits, cuftoms, and manners, say the same thing. 
They arc now reduced to a few huiuivcds. When the An- 



3SG TRAVELS IN 

glo- Americans first became acquainted witli thera., they 
courted their alliance, and dreaded their enmity more than 
that of any other tribe. The ravage of war, the small-pox, 
and spiritous liquors, have since reduced their number and 
character, and they are now slighted and despised. 1 shall 
only remark them for one particular : they are nations of 
Indians east of the Mississippi, who worship the sun, and 
who used to offer to that luminary human sacrifices, which 
they consHjmed in fires, attended by priests, whose office it 
was to renew and keep them up perpetually. Human sa- 
crifice being forbidden by the United States, the Indians, 
now make offerings of the most valuable articles, and often 
burn property to some thousand dollars amount. Their 
manner is on ihe adoration-day, to assemble round the eter- 
nal fire, as they call it, light a calumet, and present it to- 
the sun. Then certain persons, called Children of theSun^ 
cast the sacrifice into the fire, and while it consumes, the 
warriors, and young men, women and children, in separate 
circles dance and sing around. Missionaries and others, 
strive to turn them from this destructive kind of devotion, 
but all in vain: rhey still persist, and on the day answer- 
ing to our first of May, in particular, they are known to 
destroy nearly all the property they possess^ and which 
they acquire by hunting and trading with the States. 

It is not true, that their fires are constantly alive. Sev(»T 
ral years have elapsed since they were snfiered to extin- 
guish. They are now only illumined on particular festi- 
vals and state days. On my arrivalat their village, on a. 
western branch of the Alibama, I made very minute en- 
quiries on the subject, but could gather no information 
more interesting than what I communicated to yo a from 
the mouth of the Ozark, 

Every thing which surpasses the understanding and ca- 
pacity, every thing ^vho^e cause cannot be comjirehendcd 
by Indians, is called by them " Spirit." There are two or- 
ders of Spirits : the good and the bad. The good is the 
Spirit of Dreams, and all things ifinocent and inconceiva- 
ble. The bad is the thunder, the hail which destroys their 
corn, a ten)p(n3t, and in short all things capable ol inflict- 
ing dl^tress and injury, and the cause of which they are 
not ac(juainted with. Hence, when the gun of a savage 
bursts and wounds him, he says the Evil Spirit was con- 
fined wiihin it ; when a tree fails and huit$ » limb, he jvl- 



AMERICA. 381 

tributes the act to the Evil Spirit; when crossing the river 
in his canoe, and upset by tlie wind, bethinks the Evil 
Spirit agitates the air and raises the storm ; when one of 
his tribe is deprived ot reason by a shock of sickness, or 
dispensation of Heaven, he says the Evil Spirit torments him. 
Several nations call the Good Spirits, Michi Lichi ; and 
the bad ones, Matchi Manitous. And one superior Good 
Spirit they call by way of distinction and eminence Kil- 
chi Manitou, or Great Unknown Spirit ; and one Superior 
Bad Spirit is called Matchi Manitou, or Wicked Being. 
From a system like this the number of Good and Evil Spi- 
rits must be innumerable, and the objects of love and ap- 
prehension beyond all bounds. 

The Choctaw Indians inhabit the Western, and the lower 
Creeks the Eastern part of this territory; and the Musco- 
gces inhabit from the Chalahocho to the Alebama, and ex- 
tend into West Florida. These tribes of Indians are more 
numerous than any other East of the Mississippi, and are 
remarkable for their aversion and contempt to the people 
ot the United States, and the hostile disposition they ma- 
nifest towards them on every occasion that presents. I 
would have visited this nation were it not for the advance 
of the season. — 1 therefore returned to this city, which I 
leave to-morrow by dawn. 

The river here is about one mile and a quarter broad ; 
and as the city is advantageously seated on a bank, one 
hundred feet above low water mark, the view from it is 
delightful. The waters begin to rise in April, and subside 
in August, overflowing the grounds for many miles on each 
side ; the Western side being the lowest, the inundations 
there extend forty or fifty miles,: — There is a fort here as 
well as at the Walnut HUls, and at Loftus's Heights, aboUt 
seven miles above the boundary line, and another at Bond's 
Bluff and St. Stephen's j these two last are oathe Mobile? 
River, 



322 TRAVELS IN 



LETTER XL. 



Fori Adams — General JVilkinson —Riviere Rouge — Several 
Settlements with their trade and produce —Chaff alis Bu- 
yean — Tunica Bayeau and Villages — Point Covpice church ' 
— a rich settlement— Bayeuu Sacra — Thompson's Creek — 
Baton Rouge — Bayeau Manchee — Bayeau de la Fonrchi 
— Alacapas and Opelousas settlements— fine treed of horses 
and cattle — healthy climate — Sugar Pla7itations — Bona^ 
Cara settlement — account of the river from New Orleans- 
to the sea» 

Bona Cara, Mississippi Bank/ November, 1806. 

I HAD not left the Natchez many hours before I 
fpund a sensible improvement in the river: the current 
preserving the centre and sides free of snags, sawyers and 
rocks. This appearance was very pleasing, as it dispensed 
with labour and attention, and shewed it practicable to 
float all night: a thing entirely rash to attempt after leav- 
ing the Ohio. 

The first object that attracts notice is the white cliffs on 
the East side; and Avhich arc thirty-nine miles from the* 
Natches ; the second, the mouth of the Homochello River 
OH the same side; and the third, Loftus's Heights and Fort 
Adams, also on the East side. The fort is garrisoned. 
Genera! Wilkinson is at present there, collecting troops to 
drive the Spaniards beyond the Louisiaija line, from limits 
of which the domains of the United States would extend to 
the Florida Gulph and the Isthmus of Dawen. 

General Wilkinson is also a Governor of the Upper Lou- 
isiana, though contrary to the law of the State, which says 
**" that functions civil and military are not to be vested in 
any one person, or in any one place." 

The regular force under General Wilkinson does not ex- 
ceed one thousand men. In case of necessity he has the 
militia of the Natchez, Orleans, Finassee, and Kentucky to 
call out. He proposes shortly to leave Fort Adams, and 
to stretch the American boundary to its utmost extent. 

Five miles below Fort Adams is the line of Demarkation, 
struck before the purchase between Spain and the United 



AMERICA. ,323 

-States. It is in latitude 31 north, and ten miles below 

that line, on the west side, is Red River, or Reviere Rouge, 

This river derives its name from the colour of its water 

-which is perpetually red or reddish. It mixes with the 
Mississippi with great reluctance, and is seen in blotches 
and in a separate current for a considerable extent. On 
the banks and in the vicinity of the Red River, are the 
rich settlements of Rapide, Avoyellos, and Natchiloches, 

, all thriving and populous. The latter is situated seventy- 
iive leagues up the Red River. On the north side of the 
Red River, a few leagues from its junction with the Missis- 
sippi, is the Black River, on one of whose branches, a consi- 
derable way up, is the infant settlement of Ouachita, which 
from the great richness of the soil may be made a place of 
importance. Cotton is the chief produce of these settle- 

. ments ; but they have likewise a considerable fur or Indian 

, trade. The Red River communicates with the frontier 
of North Mexico. 

On a retrospect, there is no other settlement on the west 
side of the Mississippi, above the Red River, till you come 
to the mouth of the Orkanzas, seven hundred and fifty 
miles from New Orleans, and there, as I observed, there 
are but few families, who are more attached to the Indian 
trade (by which they chiefly live) than to cultivation. Nor 
is) there any settlement from the Orkanzas to New Madrid, 
which is in itself inconsiderable ; and from New Madrid 

.there is none till you reach Cape Guard eau, above the 
mouth of the Ohio. 

Below the Red River, five miles, is one of the most, dan- 
gerous bayeaus on the Mississippi ; it. is called Chaifalis, 

:.and to avoid being sucked into its vortex, it is absolutely 
necessary to k^ep the middle of the river and to row with 
great force. 

Several islands occur between the Chaffalis and the Ba- 
yeau Tunica, a distance of forty-six miles, and the Tunica 
Villages are ten miles from the bayeau, and are seated on 

^ the East side, 

A little above these villages, the Mississippi forms almost 
a complete circle, leaving a narrow ])eninsula of about one 
mile and a half across, which if cut through, a distance of 
about thirty miles would be saved. The cut would be made 
for a mere trifling cxpcnce, there not being a single stone 
or a morsel of clay on the entire course. 



534. TRAVELS IN 

On the West side, twelve miles below the Tuaica Viila- 
ges, is Point Coupee church. It is one hundred and fifty 
miks from New Orleans, and is the commencement of the 
richest and best settlement on the river, along which it ex- 
tends eight leagues. Its prod^ice is cotton. Behind it, on 
an old bed of the river, now a lake, whose outlets are clos- 
ed up, is the settlement of Faussee Ileviere, which is popu- 
lous and well cultivated. From this settlement to the sea 
are contained three fourths of the population, and seveu 
eights of the riches of all Louisiana. 

From Point Coupee church to Cape Guardeau, above 
the mouth of the Ohio, there is no land on the West side 
that is not overflowed in the spring, to the distance of eight 
or ten leagues from the river, with from two to twelve feet 
water, except the small prairie at New Madrid ; so that in 
thewholeextentofnearninehundred miles, there is no possi- 
bility of forming a considerable settlement contiguous to the 
river on that side. The Eastern bank has in this respect a 
decided advantage over the Western, as there are on it ma- 
ny situations which effectually command the river. 

Bayeau Sara, lies fifteen miles below Point Coupee 
church. This stream is on the East side, and about nine 
miles up it is a very fine settlement, in which resides a Mr. 
Bradford, formerly of Washington, Pennsylvania, a gen- 
tleman of immense possessions, and an intelligent worthy 
character. 

Point Coupee is on the West side, five miles below Ba- 
yeau Sara. Thompson's Creek is on the East side, three 
miles below Point Coupee. On this creek are fine cotton 
plantations, the soil of which is remarkably good. 

Baton Rouge is thirty miles lower down, and Bayeau 
Manchee fifteen. 

Baton Rouge is remarkable as being the first place were 
the high land is contiguous to the River, and there it forms 
a bluff from thirty to forty feet above the greatest rise of 
the water. There also the settlements extend a consider- 
able way back on the East s»ide. The parish of Baton 
Rouge has that of Thompson's Creek and Bayeau Sara sub- 
ordinate to it. The mouth of the first of these creeks is 
about forty-five leagues from New- Orleans, and tJiat of the 
latter two or three higher up. They run from North-East 
to South-West, and their head waters are North of tiie 31 
degree of latitude. Their banks have the bc^t soil, and tli'j 



j^MERICA. S2!^ 

greatest number of rich cotton plantations of any ])art of 
Louisiana, and of which they are universally allowed to 
be the garden. 

Immediately above the Iberville, and on both sides of 
the Mississippi, lies the parish of Manchee, which extends 
four leagues on the river, and is highly cultivated. 

Baycau de la Fourche is on the West side, thirteen miles 
from IManchee, and four miles froni the settlement oi one 
■Baillie, a rich and noted cotton planter. 

The Creek, or Bayeau de la Fourche, is about twenty- 
;five leagues from New Orleans. In old maps it is called 
ia Riviere des Chitamachcs. It flows from the IMissi^sippi 
■and communicates with the sea to the westward of the Ba- 
lise. The settlers on the banks talk of deepening the 
mouth of the Fourche, and of turning the whole volume 
of the Mississippi into it, thereby to enrich their country 
to the sea, to the entire ruin of New Orleans and all the 
settlements along the river's banks below the Fourche. 
The entrance of the Fourche is navigable only at high wa- 
ter, but v;ill then admit of craft of from sixty to seventy 
tons burthen. On both banks of this creek are settlements, 
one plantation deep, for fifteen leagues, and they are divid- 
ed into two parishes. The settlers are numerous, and the 
culture is universally cotton. On all creeks making from 
the Mississippi, the soil is the same as on the bank of the 
river, and the border is the higheiit part of it, from whence it 
descends gradually to a swamp. In no place is there depth 
on the low lands more than sufiices for one plantation, be- 
fore j-ou come to grounds too low for cultivation. 

This creek affords one of the communications to the tw(» 
populous and rich settlements of Atacapas and Opelousas, 
formed on and near the small rivers Tiche and Vermillion', 
which flow into the Bay of Mexico. But the principal 
and swiftest communication is by the Bayeau, or the Creek 
of Plaquemines, whose entrance into the Mississippi is se^eH 
leagues higher up on the same side, and thirty-two above 
New Orleans. These settlements abound in cattle and 
horses, have a large quantity of good land in their vicinity, 
and are likely to become of vast importance. A part of 
their produce is sent" by sea to New Orleans, but the great- 
est part is carried in batteaux, by the creeks 1 have men- 
tioned. The Opelousas is remarkable for a breed of hortes 
and cattle not to be oxcclkd in the world, and yet uny 
I) d 



5?6 TRAVELS; IN 

quantity may be bought up for only a guinea a head. In 
the tinie of the Spaniards, one dollar was the price of a 
horse, and half a dollar for an ox or cow ! The country 
h for ever under verdure ; the climate moist but serene. 
1 have seen more healthy and strong individuals come from 
it after a residence' of several years, than I ever met with 
-oji the. Ohio or Mississippi. The inhabitans live in a genu- 
ine primitive way : they do little else than tend flocks. I 
am assured from the best authority, that there is not such 
-acountry in all America as the Opelousas. I am fully in- 
clined to believe this. It is the first high ground between 
Louisiana and North INIexico. I am sorry I have not lei- 
sure to visit it. 

Between the Fourche and Bona Cara, from whence I 
write, I passed by Arnold's and Baronges', two eminent 
sugar plantations. The seat of Baronges is the handsom- 
est on the river. It is eleven miles from the I'ourche, and 
on the east side below it, is Cartrelle church. Very little 
sugar is cultivated above virnold's nor are orange-groves 
common higher up — therefore, on approaching liis house 
and settlement, the country assumes new features, and the 
frigid character of North America is disguised under the 
drapery of the West-Indies. 

The settlement of Bona Cara is \*ery delightful ; it has 
a neat church, and the_ houses which strike from it, up and 
down the river, are also separated by plantations and 
orange- groves. The following places lie between it and 
New Orleans, in the upper space of forty-eight miles. Red 
Church on the east side; Forteus's sugar plantations and 
the orange-grove, which is but three miles above New Or- 
leans. 

Before I proceed to, an account of New Orleans, I shall 
conclude the description of the river from that city to the 
sea, from authority on which you may copiidently rely. 

The conspicuous places are, the English Bend ; Fort 
Placquemines and the Passes; -and the Mouths of the 
^lississippi : the latter of which are in Latitude 29" 6' 
North. 

On the cast side, about five leagues below New Orleans, 
and at the head of the English Bend, is a settlement known 
by the name of the Poblacion de St. Bernando, or the 
Terre aux Beaut^s, extcnd^'ug on both sides of a creek or 
^rkain, whose head is contiguous to the JMississippj, aad 



AMERICA. SIT 

which, flowing eastward, after acourso of eighteen leagues, 
and dividing itself into two branches, falls into the sea and 
Lake Borgne. This settlement consists of two parishes, 
almost all the inhabitants of which are Spaniards from thu 
Canaries, who content themselves with raising fowls, corn, 
and vegetables, for the market of New Orleans. Ths 
lands cannot be cultivated to any great distance from the 
banks of the creek, on account of the vicinity of the marsh 
behind them ; but the place is susceptiblo of great improve* 
raent, and of affording another communication for small- 
craft, from eight to ten feet draught, between the sea and 
the Mississippi. 

The settlements below the English Bend, or from sixteen 
leagues from New Orleans are of no importance. Between 
them and the Fort of Placquemines, the country is over- 
flowed in the Spring, and in many places is incapable of 
cultivation at any time ; being a morass almost impassible 
by man or beast. This small tongue of land extends con- 
siderably into the sea, which is visible on both sides of the 
Mississippi from a ship's masti 

From Placquemines to the sea is twelve or thirteen 
leagu'es. The counlr}/^ is low, swampy, chiefly covered with 
reeds, having little or no timber, and no settlement what- 
ever. The whole lower part of the country, even from 
the English Bend downwards, is subject to overflow in hur- 
ricanes, either by the recoiling of the river, or reflux of the 
sea on each side ; and, on more than one occasion, it has 
been covered from the depth of two to ten feet, according 
to the descent of the river, whereby many lives were lost, 
horses and cattle swept away, and a dreadful scene of de- 
struction laid. The last calamity of this kind happened 
in 179-1' > iind in the preceding year, the engineer who su- 
perintended the construction of the Fort Placquemines, 
was drowned in his house near the fort, and the workmen 
and garrison escaped only by taking refuge on an elevated 
spot in the fort, on which there were, notwithstanding, 
three feel water. These hurricanes have generally been 
felt in the month of August. Their greatest fury lasts a- 
bout twelve hours. They commence in the South East ; 
veer about to ail points of the compass, are felt more se- 
verely below and seldom extend more than a few leagues 
above New Orleans, In their whole cour^ic they are mark- 



S'AS TRAVELS IN 

c(l with ruin and tlesolation. They are not very frequcBt" ? 
ujitil that of 1793, there had been none felt from the year 
J 780. 

About eight leagues below the Placquemines, the Missi- 
fjppidivjdes itself into the channels, viz. the East, South, 
iuuj Soulh-West. Their course is from five to six leagued 
to the sea. The space between is a marsh with little or no 
timber in it ; but, from its situation, it may hereafter be 
rendered of importance. The East Pats, which is on the 
left hand going down the river,-'is divided into two branch- 
es about two leagues below, viz. the Pass a la Lantre, and 
That known by the name of the Balize, at which there is a 
small block-house, and huts for the accommodation of Pi- 
lots, The lirst of these secondary channels, contains al 
present but eight feet water ; the latter from twelve to 
sixteen, according to the seasons. The South Pass, which 
is directly in fiont of tUe Mississippi, has always been, 
considered as entirely chcaked up ; it has ten feet water. 
The South-West Pass, which is on the right, is the longest 
and narrowest of all the Passes, and a few years ago had 
eighteen feet water, and was that by which the large ships 
always entered and sailed from the Mississippi. It has 
■ROW but eight fet< water, and will probably decline in 
(depth still more. In speaking of the quantity of water in 
the Passes, it must be understood of what is on the bar of 
«ach Pass, for immediately after passing the bar, which is 
very narrow, there are from live to seven fathoms at all 
»easons. 

Ships bound for the Mississippi must strive to keep ex- 
actly in the latitude of its mouth, as the land is not to bo 
seen at the distance of five leagues ! They must bring the 
block-house to bear W. N. VV. three degrees north, and 
lun direct for it. When in and bound up, the safest methrd 
h to run from point to point before a leading wind, taking 
care to keep out of the bends. When obliged to anchor, 
;^hips, should come too on the close of a point. As may 
well be expected, the mouths of the river present a fright- 
ful sight. Wrecks of vessels, and piles ot timber fastened 
in the bars, are seen by the mariner before he can see the 
land! and he finds himself in ten fathoms water before he 
can make the log-house or any manner of guide ! Few ves- 
sels, come up tiie river without the loss of an anchor. From 
the mouth to New Orleans, a distance of one hundred 



AMERICA. 5'Q9 

miles, vessels have been kiiowti six and eiglit weeks (?n the 
passage, stemming the current, or waiting a favourable 
wind. It seldom occupies more than two days in the de- 
scent. 

To return. Of the settlements of Chapitoulas, first and 
second German coasts, Catahanose, Fourche, and Iberville, 
the best and most improved are above tiie City of New- 
Orleans; and comprehend, what is there kivjwn by the 
Parissee de Chapitoulas, Premier and Second C6tes dcs Al- 
lamandes, extending sixteen leagues. Above these begins 
the parish of Catahanose, or first Acadian settlement, of 
eight leagues extent; adjoining which, and still ascending^ 
is the second Acadian settlement, or ])arish of the Fouche, 
extending about six leagues. The parish of Iberville then, 
commences, and is bounded by a river of the same name, 
which, though dry a great part of the year, yet when the 
Mississippi is raised, it communicates with the lakes Mau- 
repas and Pontechartrain, and through them with the sea 
and thus forms what is called the island of New Orleans^ 

Before I conclude, 1 shall take a rapid retrospect of my 
pi*oceedings since I left the Natchez, • The voyage hither 
consumed eight days : had I had leisure, I would readily 
have allowed it to employ an entire year. It is, perha})Sj 
the most interesting stretch of fresh water navigation in 
the world, and the most abounding in objects calculated 
to extend the information and gratify t!ie senses. Except 
from the point just below the Iberville, the country to 
New Orleans is settled the whole wa}/ along the river, and 
presents a scene of uninterrupted plantations in sight of 
each other, whose parts to the Mississippi are all cleared, 
and occupy on that river from five to twenty-five acres, 
with a depth of forty; so that a plantation of five acres 
front, contaiifl two hundred. A few sugar plantations arc 
formed ii\ the-parish of Catahanose, but the remainder are 
devoted to cotton and provisions : and the whole is an ex- 
cellent soil, incapable of being exhausted. The planta- 
tions are but one deep on the island of New Oilcans, and 
on the opposite side of the river as far as the mouth of the 
Iberville, which is thirty-five leagues above New Orleans. 

Every ])arish from Baton Rouge down has a church, on 

which a cross, that sacred emblem of Christianity, glitters 

from the top of a spire, which rises its picturesque head a- 

bove the suinmit of walnut, magnolia, and cypress trees, 

'Dd2 



330 TRAVFXS IN. 

The houses of a parish, which are built wuh all the em- 
bellishments of the French,^ in the West- India style, are 
not crowded together, but are separated by groves and. 
gardens, which give them a charming eft'ect, and an extent 
to one settlement of several miles. The inhabitants who, 
for the most part, are French, live perfectly at their ease. 
To mingle piety with mirth ; recreation with labour; and 
activity with repose ; is the only object they pursue; and 
this they attain to a perfection unknown to. any other peo- 
ple with whom I am acquainted. 

The navigation beiag good between the Natchez and 
New Orleans, 1 had no apprehension of leaving my boat 
in charge of the two men, and taking my canoe ashore for 
hours together. On going to the habitations of the planters 
or settlers, I always experienced the most hospitable and 
kind reception ; and uniforml}^, on offering to pay for milk, 
fruit, and vegetables, tlu; answer was, " N'imporfe, monsieury 
cela lie vaut rlen." The Spaniards are retiring fast into 
^lexico. Tliere are not a dozen respectable Spanish fami- 
lies above New Orleans; those who submit, reside below 
that city, are of the lowest order, otherwise they also would 
ece npv; have departed. 

After a passage of such length and solitude, I can never 
describe to you the pleasure that is experienced on arriving 
in that part of the Mississippi where the sounds of popula- 
tion strike the ear, where a hearty welcome is always ex- 
perk^nced, where danger is no longer thought of, and where 
information is readily procured. I often continued floating 
along shore in the evening, hearkening to the distant tones 
of the village bells, to the herds lowing on their pasture, to 
the watchful dog guarding the premises of his master, to 
the cheerful song chaunted bycontent and innocence, to 
the conversation of love and friendship, t6 the whistle of 
the vacant mind, and the long loud laugh ^ of content 
-and happiness. And on going ashore and walking up to a 
neat white house, nearly intercepted by groves of oranges, 
I have been greeted by the family seated out of doors, with 
** Ah ! bitn venue. Monsieur I'cstranger ; prenez itne chaise 
&i vous plait ; vans navez pas soupez ; mafcmme, {aire ap- 
prclez quclque chose, pour Monsieur ; mes enfans, allez voir 
le hatteau de Monsieur ; ayes soin que cest hien attache, et 
mcnez scs gens quils ont qutlque choses d mangtr." In this 
i^a.nner have the good people gone on where 1 have stopt, 



AMERICA. 331 

and on my tleparture all I was ever permitted to do, was 
de donner un petit present aux enfans, and in some families 
not even that was allowed, as you may judge, when they 
possessed from five to twenty thousand dollars a year. A- 
long the river from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, float, be- 
tween one thousand and thirty thousand dollars annually. 
The local manner of calculating wealth is very singular : 
it is said such a man is worth ten negroes a year, and anoth- 
er one hundred ; and it is understood to a dollar how muck 
the income amounts. One negroe can cultivate two acres 
of cotton, the produce of which is two hundred dollars: 
the deduction from which ratio is, that he who has ten ne- 
groes is worth two thousand dollars per annum; and he 
who has one hundred is worth .twenty thousand. The su- 
gar is very abundant and profitable. Much to tho credht 
of the French settlers, they have abandoned the cultiva- 
tion of indigo- from principles of humanity. It is now con- 
fined to Americans, The inhabitants of the river banks 
enjoy a tolerable state of health* . Those who live tempo* 
rate look strong and hearty. 

There are no markets at any of the villages or parishes. 
Every settler provides his own family. His grounds abound 
with stock ; the woods with game ; and the river with fish ; 
where is the necessity of a market? The river, also, at 
certain seasons is covered with water-fowls ; and all the 
summer duck and pelican. The river, too, has inhabitants 
not so desirable* It swarms with aligators of extraordinary 
ferocity and force. The French believe that they have a 
decided predilection for negro flesh. This idea prevails so 
much, that negroes dare not venture into the water ; and a 
fact is novj current which gives strength to this prejudice. 
Two men, one black and the other white, had occasion to 
go into the water to endeavour to push of a boat which 
had got fast on a bar. An alligator attacked the African, 
and drew him under water by the leg: he extricated him*--" 
self, rose and rushed to the boat, over the side of which he 
was clambering, assisted by the white, when he again re- 
newed the combat, again drew him oif by the leg he had 
before mangled, ami crushed his bones in the presence of 
the. white nian, whom he neither attacked nor regarded. 



'3S2 TRAVELS IN 



LETTER XLL 



New Orleans — particulars of this important city, andits ew 
virons — New Madrid, an intended city on an excellent and 
salubrious situation. 

New Orleans, Lat. 30. 2. North. 
Lon. 90. West. Nov. 1806. 

I HAVE at length arrived at this very important and 
fTourishing city, the interesting particulars of which I shall 
communicate according as they strike my attention during 
my stay. 

Jt ib the capital of Louisiana, a country of immense ex- 
tent, bouruled by the Mississippi, East ; by the Gulph of 
Mexico, South ; by New Mexico, West ; and runs indefi- 
nitely North. 

By referring to the Maps, to my own experience, and 
examining the position of Louisiana, it appears that the 
lower part projects considerably into the sea. It has in all 
probability been formed by the sediment brought down by 
the current, and deposited on the flat coast. There is, 
therefore, on the East bank but a very narrow slip along the 
bank of the river from the sea to the Iberville. The land 
is not generally susceptible of cultivation more than a mile 
back from the river, the rest is low and swampy to the 
lakes and the sea, and abounds with cypress, which is oft- 
en cut down, and sawed by mills that are worked by arti- 
ficial streams from the Mississippi in time of floods, which 
often continue five months in the year. Wliat I observe of 
the East, equally applies to the West side of the river, 'i'he 
^?-.jil and situation are nearly the same. After leaving the 
bank of the river there is an immense swamp intersected 
by creeks and lakes, extending to the high land of Ataca- 
pas, and occupying a space of forty leagues. 

In a country such as this, on the East bank of the Mis- 
sissippi, one hundred miles from the Balize, is seated the 
city of New Orleans. It extends nearly a mile along the 
river, from the Gate of France, on the south, to that of 
Chdpitaulas above, and is a little more than one-third of a 
Mile in breadth from the river to the rampart ; but there 



AMERICA. S53i 

IS an extensive suburb on the upper side. The houses in 
front of the town, and for a square backwards, are mostly 
of brick, covered with slate or tile ; — the ranainder are of 
wood, covered with shingles. They run cross each other 
at right angles, and are thirty-two French feet wide. The 
squares between the intersections of the streets have a 
front of three hundred French feet. There is in the mid' 
die of the front of the city, a square, or place des anneSj 
facing which the church and town-house are built. There 
are about fitteen hundred houses in the city and suburbs,. 
The populativ)n may be estimated at fifteen thousand, in- 
cluding the garrison and Africans. It was fortified in 
1793, but the works being originally defective could not 
be defended, and are now in ruins. The powdcr-msgazine 
is on the opposite bank of the river. In the city there ara 
twelve public structures. The church, town-house, jail, 
convent, bank, theatre, and governor's palace, would, in 
any country, be esteemed large and handsome buildings. 
The front, or side next the river, is open, and is secured 
from the inundations by a raised bank, called the levee,, 
which extends from fifteen miles below the city to fifty 
miles above it, forming a good road all the way. The city 
is considerabi}' under the level of high water, in conse- 
quence of which, and the swampy nature of the ground 
on which it is built, there can be no subterraneans build? 
ing. Where they have been attempted they have uniform- 
ly fallen in and filled with water, Most of the houses have 
open galleries, and gardens abounding with flowering shrubs 
and rich bearing orange-trees. These give the city a cool 
and lively appearance, and convey to my mind very plea- 
sureable sensations, after a voyage so destitute of the com- 
forts and elegancies of life as I lately experienced. 

Immedialely behind the city is a canal, about a mile and 
a half long, called the Canal of Carondelet, which commu- 
nicates with a creek called the Bayau St. Jean, flowing in- 
to Lake Pontchartrain. At the head of the Bayeau is a 
handsome village, and at the mouth, about eight miles from 
the city, is the small fort of St. Jean, which commands 
the entrance from the lake. By this Bayeau the commu- 
nication is kept up through the lake and the Rigolets to the 
Mobile and i^ettlements in West Florida. Craft drawing 
ib-uni six to eight feet water can navigate to the mouth, of 



■%34s TRAVELS IN 

the creek, but, except in particular swells of the lake, 
cannot pass the bar witliout being lightened. 

On the road from the city to the road Bayeau are seve- 
ral beautiful country seats and rich gardens. The banks 
of tlie river on the east side, as far down as the English 
Bend, and as high up as Bona Cara, are also embellished 
with neat country residences, whither the citizens retire 
during the sickly season, which happens between the months 
of August and Nov<?mber. 

P'rom the favourableness of the climate of the Lower 
I^ouisiana,^ especially as low down as the city, two crops of 
Indian corn may be annually -produced ; and the soil, with 
little cultivation, would furnish grain of every kind in a- 
bundance. The timber is as line as any in the world ; and 
the quantities of oak ash, mulberry, walnut, cherry, cy- 
press, and cedar are astonishing. The banks of the JNlis- 
sissippi, beside*!, furnish the richest fruits in variety; and 
the soil is particularly adapted for hemp, flax, and tobac- 
co : indigo yields the planter three or four cuttings a year. 
In a word, whatever is rich and rare in the most desireable 
climates in Europe seem to be the spontaneous production 
of the neighbourhood of this city, and of the country in 
gentral. Oranges thrive to the highest perfection, and 
mulberry, locust, sassafras, hickory, dog-wood, &c. are the 
most abundant nsj^es of the soil. Grape-vines run up 
almost every tree, and yield a red wine of a very tolerable 
quality. ' The game of the savannas and woods is not yet 
destroyed, and the Mississippi and the neighbouring lakes 
furnish in great plenty, several sorts of fish, particularly 
perch, pike, cat, buffalo, sturgeon, and ells. 

~ Accounts similar to this, perhaps higher coloured and 
still true, lead thousands into this country in search of a 
}>aradise, and they find a grave. The climate is horrid. 
On an average nine strangers die out of ten, shortly after 
their arrival in the city, and those v/ho survive are of shat- 
tered constitution and debilitated frame. 

The entire country is not subject to malignant disease. 
It is generated by the lakes, swamps, and marshes contigu^ 
ous to the sea, and gradually diffuses itself up the river, till 
checked by high lands, and a higher latitude. It merely 
glances over the habitations o( the settlers, whom it slight- 
ly attacks, and tarries only in New Orleans and Natches, 
^bere an overflowing population, dud the various ciscum- 



AMERICA. 335 

stances incident to cities, which favor disease, render it 
powertul and contagious. 

The present partial population and wealth of the coun- 
try is to be attributed to tiie flattering accounts dissemmi- 

.natf'd by interested individuals, of its climate, riches, and 
general productions. The first intention of settling NewMad- 
rid, that vile wretched spot, which I described to you in a 

.' former letter, was announced to the public in these terms, 
by Colonel Morgan, a Kentuckyan adventurer. 

" In a country abounding with the richest productions of 

iiiature, and enjoying the most v/holesome climate known 
to the worlds a city is about to be establi!)hed, under the 
immediate sanction and patronage of the King of Spain ; 
who, to encourage settlers, purchasing town-lots, will grant 
lands in any quantity, and of the most superior kind, at 
the rate of six pence per acre. 

In honor to his Majesty, the city is to be named. New 
Madrid, after the capital of his European possessions, and 
is to extend four miles South and two miles West from 
the Mississippi ; so as to cross a beautiful, living, deep 
lake of the purest spring water, one hundred yards wide 
and several miles in length, emptying itseJf by a constant 
and rapid narrow stream through the centre of the city ; 

; the banks of the lake, called St. Annis, high and delightful ; 
the water deep, clear and sweet, and Xi^ell stored with fish. 

. On each side of this unparalleled lake, streets are to be 
laid out, one hundred feet wide; a road to be continued 
round it of the same breadth,; and the streets are directed 
to be preserved forever for the health and pleasure of the 

, citizens. A street one hundred and twenty feet wide is to 
be laid out on the banks of the Mississippi, and the trees 
now ornamenting it arc to be preserved ior the sarae pur- 
pose. Twelve acres, in a central part of the city, are to 
be reserved in like manner, and embellished and regulated 
by the magistracy for public walks ; forty half-acre lots 
for other public purposes; ^nd one lot of twelve acres for 
the King's use. 

As the vicinity, of this city is rich beyond description, 
and abounding with every advantage required by man to 
render his life luxuriant and comfortable, there can be no 
doubt but that it will possess a wealthy population, espe- 
cially as Colonel Morgan, the proprietor under the King, is 
.liberal in making ivQO. grautsio meglianics, and intend* 



336 TRAVELS IN 

disposing of the whole of the forty thousand city-lots at a 
rate that will be but equal to ten dollars per acre.'"' 



LETTER XLIL 



The re ligion and commerce of New Orleans — its (inmsemenU 
and inhabitants. 

New Orleans, November, 1 806. 

MY last conveyed to you general ideas of the city, 
and of the climate of Lower Louisiana. I confine myself 
«ow to the religion and commerce of this place. 

The religion is Roman Catholic : that is, the religion of 
the French and Spanish is Catholic : as for the Americans 
tliey have none. They disregard the Sabbath entirely ; 
or, if they go to the Catholic church, there not being any 
other, they go as to a spectacle^ where line \yomen are to 
be seen, and where fine music is to be heard ! 

The Catholic church, as well as the town-house, thejail, 
and the palace of the priests, were all built by the once 
celebrated merchant, Don Andre, on condition that he 
should be made a Noble of Spain. He lived to expend 
two millions of dollars on these and other public works, 
but died before the ambitious honors were lavished oa 
him ; and his wife has the mortification still to be called 
^Madame Andre. 

The church is a very large structure, built of brick, and 
plastered and painted in front, to give it the appearance of 
marble. 

The altar is magnificent for the western world, and is 
adorned with paintings and sculpture of considerable taste. 
— Queen Esther, fainting away in the presence of Ahasu- 
eras is fine; for though she is lost to sense, and in u swoon, 
her majesty and beauty still remain. She is dressed in her 
royal ro^es, and as she sinks, she leans to the right side, 
aiid is supported by one of the ladies who attend her: they 
are six in number, elegantly dressed, and handsome. — 
There is another lady and a youth, who do their utmost 1» 
keep the Queen froqji falling. Her nock is bare, and her 



AMERICA. 33T 

^rms Iiang motionless ; and her body is as weak and help- 
less as if the soul had left it : the retiring of the blood, th© 
falling of the muscles, and the natural and graceful man- 

•ner in which she dies awaj, are expressed with the greatest 
skill and propriety. The King seems surprized, and rises 
from his throne with his sceptre in his hand, as giving hi's 
assistance. The persons that attend upon the King, both 
by their actions and countenances, appear to be under the 
same concern. Haman, who is the cause of this distress, 
stands in the presence chamber, wearing a gold collar, be- 
hind the throne, and appears to be affected, and to share 
in the calamity. There stands a spirited figure of an officer, 
in rich armour, with one of the ensigns of war in his hand ; 
his attention seems to be taken up with what passes. At a 
distance are other soldiers that belong to the guard. There 
is a youth also near the throne, dressed in scarlet, with a 
white shock dog in his arms, which has a very good effect. 
In the sacristy there are several relics ; among which 
is a thorn of our Saviour's crown, tinged with his blood ; 
a cloth of Santa Veroneca, enriched with his image, and a 
caoss, of Indian workmanship, said to have been found on 
the bank of the Riviere Noir, on the very spot where the 
famous Ferdinand de Loto ended his discoveries and his 
life, and where his remains now lie buried. The priest 
who exhibited the altar and the relics, appeared much dis- 
pleased with the little belief afforded them by the Ameri- 
cans, and informed me that orders had arrived from th© 
bishops of Cuba and Mexico to forward all the pictures and 
relics from the churches of Louisiana to New Spain, wheref 
the honours of belief and admiration, in anxious solicitude 

.await them. 

Besides the church, there is another place of religious 
■worship — A convent, for the instruction and accommoda- 
tion of fifty nuns. They have a very neat chapel, where 
mass is celebrati^d twice every day, during which, the nuns 
join in the melody of the service from a situation separated 
from the audience by close iron bars. I could just distin- 
guish that they were dressed in black robes, with the same 
coloured veil Mowing from their head to the feet. They 
are not allowed to take in novices ; as on the death of the. 
■present nuns, the American goYcrnment purpose seizing oai 



33S TRAVELS IN 

their possessions and lands, which are very considerable,^ 
both in the city and neighbourhood. 

Jt is now time to touch on the subject of commerce. 

Notwithstanding the periodical visitations which devas- 
tate the city, still 1 have every reason to believe that it 
will rival every other in America, in wealth, power ai\d 
prosperity. This belief is not founded on vague surmises, 
but on the following view of its situation and relative cir- 
cumstances with other countries. 

1. By the canal of the • Carondolet ; the Lake Pont- 
chartrain, and the Mobile it receives the cich productions 
of the two Floridas and the Tenassec State. 

2. All the wealth of the Western parts of Pennsylva- 
ilia ; of the back parts of, the entire of the, Kentucky and 
Ohio States and the Indiana Territory, are conveyed to it, 
by means of the Ohio and her tributaries, which jftow into 
the Mississippi as before described. 

3. A proportion of the trade of theLakes iinds its way 
to it by the Illinois River and bateaux navigating below 
St. Anthony's Falls. 

4. The furs and produce of the North- West descend to 
it by the Messauri, and reach the city after a. course of 
two thousand five hundred miles. 

5. The property of the West has various avenues to ap- 
proach it, viz. the White, the Red, and the Black Rivers ; 
the St. Francis, the Atakasses and the Bayeaus of the Four- 
che and others. 

6. It receives various rich productions from New Mex- 
ico, through means of Indian communication and naviga- 
ble streams falling into the gulph. 

From the Floridas it receives skins, logwood, dying stuff 
and silver dollars ; from Tenassee, and the back part of 
Georgia, cotton, tobacco, and other produce. 

From the upper parts of the Ohio it receives provisions, 
timber, boats, flour, wheat, Indian corn, tobacco and pot- 
ash ; and from the lower parts, that is Kentucky and the 
Indiana Territory, live and dead stock, timber, flour, In- 
dian corn, iron and pottery-ware ; sassafras, ginseng, and 
various medicinal plants, roots and herbs ; also oil of 
snakes, animals, and vegetables, hemp, flax, sail-cloth, cor- 
dage, twist, twine, paper, spirits manufactured in the coun- 
try. Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania, also send down 
tti§ir boats, saddlery and artificev's tools made in thecountry. 



AMERICAi 33!r 

Pi'om the Lakes and tlie Illinois, it receives furrs, dying 
Stutfs, earths, and minerals. 

From the Messauri it receives lead and furs. 
• From the West it receives furs, cattle, horses and hogs. 

From New Mexico it receives silver and gold, for goods 
clandestinely introduced. 

And from the Mississippi Territory and the banks of the 
river, where cultivated to ah extent of three hundred miles 
lip and down, it receives cotton, indigo, and sugar, and 
timber in bulk and plank in great abundance. 

From this it appears, that tiie city is the depot of all the 
various wealth and jiroductions of countries extending from 
it from two, to three thousand miles in many directions, and as 
such wealth and productions must stop at the city, beforb 
they can find their way to the city, which contracts the 
navigation of the river, it is not unreasonable to assert, as 
I have done, that the city must flourish in spite of the dis-- 
eases by which it is periodically ravaged. Beside becom- 
ing the necessary depot of such extravagant wealth, it has 
strong advantages from its own situation ; it stands on the 
very bank of the most perfect course- of freshwater navi- 
gation in the world ; it is but one hundred miles from the 
sea, within a few days sail of INIcxico, of the French, Span- 
ish and British Islands in the West-Indies, and'liesopen to, 
and trades with, Russia, Sweeden, Denmark, Hamburgh, 
United Provinces, Great Britain, Austria, Netherlands, and 
Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Morocco, and 
several parts of Africa; China, and various Asiatic coun- 
tries, and the North-Wcst coast of Isorlh, and the East 
coast of South America. 

There are upwards of four hun»lred ships of all nations 
now in the river, moored three deep along the Levee. 

The trade of New Orleans lias undergone an entire 
change since the soil of Louisiana became the property of 
the States. Before that period, it was conducted, exclu* 
sively, by individuals purciiasing the rights of monopoly 
from the King of Spain, or of his Viceroys and Governors. 
They, of course, made immense fortunes, as the instance 
of Don Andri;, who was enabled to expend 5,000,000 dol-- 
lars in public works, and to leave iiis widow the enormous 
foitune of 100,000 dollars a year. At that period, there- 
fore, wealth circulated in a very partial manner, and un- 
bounded riches penury and distress, must have ruarked ih?- 



540 TJRAVELS IN 

general feature; but at present, when toleration and com-- 
petition prevail, things have taken a widely different turn,, 
and that wealth which before preserved one certain stream, 
jiow ovei flows and dillubes itself to all around. For one 
Bicrchant that acted for himself (I say for himself, because 
■jn the time of the ancient regimen, the few exclusive mer- 
chants sold licenses to others to pursue the same trade, and 
thereby encreased the number of merchants) six years ago 
there are now fifty ! Though this toleration in the American 
Commercial system is much to be approved of, still, that 
peculiar vic€ of mad speculation which is manifest in all 
their dealings, in the case of this city, it already betrays an 
evil consequence ; for, if formerly there were too many 
poor in Orleans, there will very shortly be too few rich. 
The fountain of wealth now empties itself through such 
^jiumberless channels, that the su})ply must be triHing to 
all, and flow with much less velocity Uian when it rushed 
through but one or two mouths. 1 he influx of American 
Speculators -^was so great in the first instance, that the cha- 
lactcr of commerce instantaneously changed, and violence 
and competition, which in America means contention, 
.jeigned triumphantly abroad. This forced kind of pro- 
ceeding, this ardent competition, gave an artificial value 
to things, and an immense profit was required on imported 
and exported goods: it la&ted two years : commerce has 
now sunk to its natural level, and in consequence of the 
rivals in trade multiplying in a proportion beyond the ca- 
pacity of the trade, every article is reduced considerably 
iji value. British goods may be bought as cheap a« in Lon- 
don, and the produce of the country, at least some paKfe 
«1^ it, is reduced two hundred per cent. Flour, which but 
one year ago, sold for twelve dollars a barrel, has fallen to 
four, and every other article in its due proportion. As this 
level and diffusion of commerce can afford no more than 
an honest and reasonable profit, the Americans begin to be 
^iissatisfied, and manyof them have already become bank- 
rupts, and returned to their own particular State. The 
^reat body who now remain, are ccmnHssit)n merchants, 
to whom the settlers of the upper and adjacent countries 
consign their produce. Their demand is lour and a half 
per cent. They make also charges for storage, wharfage, 
and labour, which gives them a clear advantage, in all of 
about ten. per cent.; and in two many instances, they kevp 



AMERICA, S4i 

tlie-property all together to themselves, and depart or re- 
snain, and stand the issue of a suite at law, which must 
ultimately prove to their fiwour, the American judicature ' 
being so lax that it encourages, instead of punishing and 
preventing its offence. 

The trade of the city is conducted, for the most part, 
by four classes of men. Virginians and Kentuckyans reign' 
over the brokerage and commission business ; the Scotcli' 
and Irish absorb all the respectable commerse of exporta- 
tion and importation; the French keep magazines and 
stores; and the Spaniards do all the small retail of grocers' 
shops, cabants, and lowest order of drinking- houses. Peo- 
ple of colour, and free negroes, also keep inferior shops, 
and sell goods and fruits. 

There is no exchange, nor any other general place of - 
mercantile resort. Atter sun-set the inhabitants prome- 
nade on the Levee. The place is very favourable for the ' 
purpose, the shipping extending along the bank, and the 
captains and others employed within sight. Ships have 
race-boards to the bank, which gives them an acccess so 
easy, that they are often visited from the shore; and it is 
no uncommon thing to see the sprightly dance on the deck, or 
the bottle circulate under the auning, while the whole 
town promenade the Levee or repose under the orange- 
trees which decorate it in partial spots. ■ 

The shipping at present extends the entire length of the 
Levee, and for the most part are moored three a-breast. 
It is composed of aH nations. The merchandize for the 
Mississippi is exactly similar to that of the West-India trade 
— the race of people being nearly the same, and the cli- 
mate not essentially differing. 

The prices are as high as in any of the English markets. 
Fruit and vegetables alone are cheaper. 

There are no good taverns. The custom among stran- 
gers is to live in boarding-houses, which charge from ten 
to fifteen dollars per week, for board and lodging, and an 
inferior kind of French claret for drink. Persons of good 
taste, and who respect their health, find their own wine. 
The table is excellent, being covered with fish, soup, fowls, 
roasted, boiled, and stewed meats, with vegetables. The 
dinner-hour is three. Coffee is served soon after dimier, 
after which it is customary to enjoy a sicsto, 
Ee 2 



342 TRAVELS IN 

The instant the luminary sets, animation begins to rise>, 
the public walks are crowded ; the billiard rooms resound ; 
music strikes up, and life- and activity resume their joyous 
career. 

As the amusements of the ladies and gentlemen of this 
city are generaljy distinct, I must give you a sketch of each. , 
under separate heads. . | 

1 he Americans, since iheir arrival here, have been so . 
occupied by politics and legislation, that their minds have 
never been sufficiently unbent to form a course of pleasures 
for themselves ; therefore the indulgence of the tabic, 
cards and billiards, are the principal fountain of the enjoy- 
ments of the men. It is not so with the French gentkmen : 
their pleasures are forever varied, and of a nature to be 
participated by the most delicate of the female ec.x. This 
casts over them a considerable degree of refinement, and 
the concert, dance, promenade, and petit aouper^ are con- 
ducted with as much attention as at Paris or Home. At 
times, the limits of the French entertainments extend from 
a partial circle and pervade the whole town. 

Besides the French and American amusements of the 
men, I can still trace some old Spanish recreations. On 
returning to my lodging late at night, I have more than 
once heard the guitar under the windows of a sleeping 
beauty, or the harp delicately touched under i\ corridore 
over which some charming girl attentively reclined. Songs 
too are often heard in the silence of the night. 'J'hey some- 
times assume the form of a duet, and are repeated by the 
lover and the confidential friend who accompanies him as ^ 
a guard. ^ 

It could be wished that the Spanish character were only 
to be discerned by their empassioned songs and innocent 
amours : unfortunately it often breaks out in sanguinary 
stabs of the stillrto, and frequent assassinations. Several 
Americans who have interrupted their midnight serenades, 
have already fallen. The remainder go armed, and have 
also learned to correct their conduct towards the Spaniards^ 
whom they now find they cannot trample upon with impu- 
mity or scorn. The first class of Spaniards, who could not 
submit to any other government or religion than their own, 
liave retired into Mexico : those who remain, are esteemed 
degraded by their countrymen; and arc called Caialons^ by 
way of contempt. 



AMERICA. 54S 

The women, who in point of manners and character have e^ 
very marked superiority over the men, are divided into two 
ranks — the white and the brown. They have two separate 
ball-rooms in the city, . At the white ball-room no lady of 
colour is admitted. 

Those called the whites are principally brunettes with, 
deep black eyes; dark hair and good teeth. Their persons - 
are eminently lovely, and their movemenis indescribably 
graceful, far superior to any thing I ever witnessed in Eu- 
rope. It would seem that a. hot climate *' calls to life 
each latent grace.*' With you the movements are rigid and 
the muscles unrelaxed ; whereas, here the action is unre« 
strained, the muscles elastic, and the frame as supJe as if 
destitute of bone. With, you the form alone is fine and 
beautiful ; but here the various charms of grace and sym- 
etry are heightened by the most enchanting expressions of 
joy and elegance of motion. In the dance, th«se fascinat- 
ing endowments are peculiarly displayed. 

The dress of the white ladies is very plain and simple. 
The robe is white, fastened . under the breast with a dia- 
mond pin, and the hair, in the form of a coronet, connect- 
ed by small bands of precious stones and pearls. The prin- 
cipal amusement of the young women of this class, is to 
ride out alter sun-set, in small cabriolets, which they 
drive themselves, with great ease and dexterity, a negro 
boy or girl, elegantly dressed, standing behind. In these 
excursions they are never attended by gentlemen ; the 
lt)ss of reputation being dreaded here, beyond the loss of 
every thing else beside. Their public amusements are balls 
and concerts, which are generally well attended ; their 
private, consist of music parties at home, and conversations 
around the door. 

The ladies have much more reserve than Frenchwomen; 
they are even distant in their manners ; and it is not till 
they take a fantasie for a gentleman that they rise into 
friendship, and descend into familiarity with him ; alter 
that period they kindle into love without much difficulty, 
and give that passion more dignity and embellishment than 
you can conceive it susceptible of in Europe. A Spanish 
Americaine in love, soars above her former excellence, and 
becomes a new object in the creation : so sensible is her 
lover to hor attractions, that he too changes his nature, 
and forgetting that the idol of his soul is hunian^ looks up. 



SU TRAVELS IN 

to her as a divinity, and offers at her shrine a suite of the 
most profound adorations. Custom has made the church 
the theatre for the creation, discovery, and progress of first 
loves. He who would gain the inestimable heart of a Span- 
ish girl, must attend her through a series of fervid devo- 
tions ; gaze on her in reverential silence, orat the most, 
in tender languishment, express " thy image steals between 
my god and me.'' If, in the course of an affair of the 
heart, conducted under the sanctuary and evidence of the 
church, the lover were to be guilty of any one act of mean- 
ness and depravity, or sully his reputation in any possible 
way, his mistress would tear him from her heart. 

The women of colour stand next to the white in socie- 
ty. They are very beautiful, of a light copper colour, and 
tall and elegant persons. Their dress is widely different in 
general from that of the white ladies; their petticoats are 
ornamented at the bottom with gold lace or fringe richly 
tasselled ; their slippers are composed of gold embroidery, 
and their stockings interwoven with the same metal, in so 
fanciful a manner, as to display the shape of the leg to the 
best advantage. A kind of jacket made of velvet, fitted 
tight to the shape, and laced or buttoned in front, with 
long points hanging down quite round the petticoat, and 
trimmed at the end with pearl tassels, is also worn ; and on 
the shoulders of the jacket is fastened a cloak made of 
gauze, or some such light material, which hangs as a loose 
train to the ground, or is occasionally fastened to the side 
by a clasp of jewels. Their most general head-dress is 
either a handkerchief of gold-gauze braided in with dia- 
monds, or else chains of gold and pearls twisted in and out 
through a profusion of fine black hair, which produces a 
pleasing ef!'ect. The bosom is covered with solitaries, com- 
posed of every different kind of jewels. Notwithstanding 
the beauty and wealth of these women, they are not ad- 
mitted, as I before remarked, to the white assembliies. 
They have therefore a ball room of their own, which is well 
attended, and where as beautiful persons and as graceful 
dancing is witnessed, as in any other assemblies of the sort 
whatever. A distinction subsists between ladies of colour 
of a very singular sort ; those who are but one remove frona 
the African cast, are subordinate to those who are trom two 
to three, or more, and are interdicted, by custom, from in- 
termarrying with tiae whites ; but they are allowed, by the 



AMERICA, 345 

s^me authority, to become mistresses of the whites, with- 
out being dishonoured in the eyes of society, that is, they 
are esteemed honorable and virtuous while faithful to on® 
man ; but if, in their amours, they at any time become in- 
discriminate, they lose the advantage of ranking among 
the virtuous, and are classed in the city books among pros" 
titutes and slaves. This, or a native disposition to conti- 
nence, has such a dominion over them, that the instances 
of their infidelity are very rare, though they are extremely 
numerous, and aj'e mistresses to the married and unmarri- 
ed, and nearly to all the strangers who resort to the town. 
For, though infidelity is punished among them, they are 
no sooner disengaged from one attachment than they ar« 
at liberty to form another. The introduction of strangers 
to them is attended with some ceremony, and must always 
be through the means of the mother, or female adopted to 
supply her place. The inhabitants of the town never break, 
down their regulations, or treat them abruptl)', and stran- 
gers are instructed by their acquaintance how to proceeds 
The Levee, atsun-set, is the paincipal market for ailthis traf- 
fic de cccnr. There all the beauties assemble, and there all. 
those who need the kind companion, joyfully repair : all 
■walk up and down for a considerable time, or sit under 
orange-trees occasionally, with the objects of their separata 
choice. Such an expression of reserve, morals and decen- 
cy reign over the women of every sort, that a stranger 
passes and repasses, before he can assum* sufficiently to 
tell the one he admires the most quelle est belle comme un€, 
uge, and so forth. To an Englishman, this timid, bash- 
ful silent demeanour, opposes difficulties which require hi?^ 
utmost resolution to surmount, and he walks the Levee 
many a pensive evening before the sense of virtue is suffi- 
ciently consumed by the new passion of his breast, to per- 
mit him to speak, or to offer terms to a parent, from which 
his soul shrinks, from the convictionof their being base and,- 
dishonourable. Some mothers now, on becoming acquaint- 
ed with the English timidity, begin to alter their line of 
conduct, and suffer their daughters to remove their veil e»- 
passant rni A?igluis, or flirt their fan, or drop a handker- 
chief, which they receive with such gracious accents of 
gratitude, that a conversation may easily succeed. 

The mothers always regulate the terms and make the. 
!?argain. The terms allowed the parents are generally. 



34& TRAVELS IN 

fifty dollars a month; during which time thelover has thfe 
exclusive right to the house, where fruit, coftee, and re- 
freshments may at any time be had, or where he may en- 
tirely live with the utmost safety and tranquility. Many 
do live in this manner, notwithstanding which, 1 have never 
heard a complaint against tliese interesting females. In 
proportion as they advance in age they enter into service, 
&c. and are respected as much as when in their virgin 
state. 

Negresses and female INIestises next follow : the first are 
principally employed as servants, of which every family 
has a considerable number ; the second perform all kind of 
jaboriouswork, such as washing, and retailing fruit through 
the-city in the hottest weather; and being considered as a 
cast too degraded to enter into the marriage state, they 
follow a legal kind of prostitution, without decerning it any 
disparagement to their virtue or their honor. 

Though the places of amusement are separate in the city, 
for the distinctions of society, still there is an assembly, 
held every Sunday evening at the Bayou, about two miles 
out of town, where all the beauty of the country con-- 
centrates, without any regard to birth, wealth, or colour. 
The place of entertainment is called Tivoli. The room is 
spacious and circular; wetl painted and adorned, and sur- 
rounded by orange trees and aromatic shrubs, which dif- 
fuse through it a delightful odour. I went to Tivoli, and 
danced in a very brilliant ajrsembly of ladies. The Spa- 
nish women excel in the walta, and the French in cotilions. 

Thus, my dear friend, have I run over every subject of 
interest which this place can aftbrd : you may, perhaps, 
remark, that I have of late beem^ilent on the subject of 
curiosities. This country is destitute of them ; or, at least, 
possesses none of any distinction, or, only such as are in- 
ferior to what I have already described. Reptiles are ve- 
ry common. Large lizards are about every yard ; and 
snakes come into the houses from the river side. It is not 
a little strange, but alligators do not come near the town. 
'J'hough extremely numerous above and below, they avoid 
the Levee and pass aKvays on the opposite shore. The 
country swarms with grasshoppers ; they are very large, 
not less than three inches long ; the body jet black, the 
hca.d red. — The French call them *' clicxaux du Viable," 



AMERICA. 3i7 

There are so many descriptions of the natural produc* 
^ons of the Floridas, which are exactly similar to those of 
the Lower Louisiana, that it would be idle of me to go into 
their history, and therefore, I conclude; correspondence for 
the present, as 1 am. about to embark for England, by di- 
recting your attention to the annexed : paper, which is a 
correct survey of the rivers,! have descended, and from 
the accounts of which I sincerely hope you have received 
*5omc information and entertainment. 



APPENDIX. 



MONONGAHELA RIVER. 

Mil-es. 
.VI BflBimence at Mergantown,— This is » flourishing tovrn, {-.Icasantl^ 
situated on the East s^de of Monungahela River, and may be con- 
sidered tlic head of the navigation. 
<:heat River — At the raoiith of this river is a long shoal, and the 
channel somewhat difficult— Here a person may be got to convey 
the boat past the danger • 

Dunkard Creek, West side, a small shoal -2 

George's Creek, East side ^^ 

Big Whiteley Creek, West side . 4 

-Little Whiteley, same side—Channel near the middle of the nvcr. 

Brown's Run ^ 

East side. — Channel in tlie middle of the rivci, Middle Run 2 

JEast sido. — Chiumel near the West shore ^ 

Cat's Run. — Channel in the middle 2 

Muddy Creek, West side. — Here are two old Fish Dams ; the chan- 
nel of the first is near the middle, and of the other near the East 
shore 4 

Ten Mile Creek, West side.— Channel close to the East shore 7 

Fredericktovvn, West side.— A sni«il town, pleasantly situated 1 

James Crawford's Ripple. — Channel near the middle 3 

-Dunlap's Creek, East side — Immediately above its mouth is situated 
Bridgeport, a small thriving town, in a pleasant silud'.ion; and be- 
' low the mo'-ith of this creek lies 13rownsviIle (or Red^lone) 3 

Redstone Creek, East side.— Cluinnel near the middle, there being 

a smart ripple near the mouth of the creek 1 

Pigeon Creek, West side. — Immediately below the mouth lies Wil- 

liamsport 18 

Parkerson's Mill, East side. — Channel in the middle S 

M'Farlane's and Perry's Ferry 6 

Elizabelhtown 2 

Peter's Creek, East side. — Here is a smart ripple ; channel near the . 

West shore 3 

M Keesport 6 

Mouth Turtle Creek, or Perrystown. — ■Tie.rv is a long difficult ripple, 
just at the AJoulh-chanue!, at the iietid of the ripple, near the East 
side for a small distance, thence zihuut the middle ol Ue ripple, 
runs to the West shore, and returns to the East shore near the foot 
of it ry 

Braddock's Defeat, East side. — A ripple : channel East side .S 

Nine Mile Run, M'Dowel 1 

Gordon's Ferry. — Cliaunel in the middle of the river t 

.Four Mile Bar, mouth Four Mile Run 3 

Channel on the E;ist>side of the rirer, which, from iki? place, ought 
t» be kept all the way to Piltsbarg 4 

Ff 



350 APPENDIX^ 

Navigation of the River ALLEGIJANY, 
Including the carr^'ing-place from the town of Erie. 

Watcrford (Le Eceuf.) — This town was also laid out by the State of 
Pennsylvania, and is increasing. — Here was a Wesiern post, which, 
but a tew yt'cirs sinccwas evacuated.— A postctfice is also kept 

l;ere "^ 15 

French Creek, tlirough Le Bceuf Lake 4 

jMuddy Creek 12 

End of the Dead.Water 1 4 

Meadville • ,18 

Wilson's Bend 6 

Little Sugar Creek ' 8 

Big Sugar Creek — 12 
At the rnouth of tliis creek is a considerable fall all the way to the 

town of Franklin ^ 

Sandy Creek, West side of the Alleghany , 10 

Scrub Grass Creek, West side 8 

Falling Springs 3 
Montgomery's Falls. — Channel on the left hand side of a large rock 

in ihc middle ol the iails. 4 

Ew all's. Defeat (a \cr\ rocky plr.ce) — Channel on the East side. 3 

I'atterson's Falls 4i 

jS'icholson's Eddy ("a strong ripple)— Channel on the West side 2 

Stump Creek, East side. — .Chainiel on the East side S 

Parker's, or Ainbcrson's Falls. — Channel on the East side 3 

vCat-fish Falls.— Chaiu;el in the East side 10 

Kcd bank Creek. — Channel on the East side 9 

Cummin's rock. — Channel on the West side 6 

jMahorney Creek, East.— rChannel on the West side 3 

Slone's Ferry * - 15 

Crooked Creek, East side 5 

Nicholson's Falls. — Channel on the West side 4 
Freeport. — Tliis town lies at the mouth of -Buffalo Creek, vhi^^'h 

joins the Alle|zhany on the West, and opposite to it conies in Kis- 

keminetas 8 

Owing's Island. — Channel on the West side 5 

Bull Creek, West — Channel on the East side , 4 
Logan's Ferry, mouth of Buckety Creek— Channel on the East side, 

but narrow 4 

Uuland's Island. — Channel on the East side '4 

Plumb Creek 3 
Sandy Creek, East side. — Channel on the East side of the island. 

At the moulh ol this creek a vessel of 160 tons burlhen was i»telv 

launched — took in her cargo, and sailed lor the islands, ikv. ? 

Pine Creek, West side . ' 5 

AVilson's Island, — Clranncl on U;e East side 4 

Pitisbiu^jh 1 



APPENDIX. 351 

OHIO. 

I.now commence the navigai.iori of the Oliio, wLicli commences at 

Piilsburg. 

NUcs, 
From Pittsburgh to Hamilton's Island, is /-3 

Channel on the jV. VV. side, or what was formerly' called the Indian 

Side, close to the lower point of the island. 
Irvin's Island. — Channel about 1-3 from tiie N. W. shore 4 

1st Ripple — Just below the upper end of the I'.land : Here yon 

must leave the B;g Breaker (a Uirge rock) close to the right, 
5d, or Hijrse Tail Ripple — A small distance below the, first. — Chaa- 

ne! between the bar and some large breakers. 
Sd Ripple— Within half a mile of the lower end of Irwin's Island.— 
Ciianne! about one-third of fiie width of the river from the N. VV. 
side close to the upper end of the bar. 
Hog island, lower end of — 5 

Channel N,\V. side, ciose round the lower point of the island, towards 
the left hand shore for about fiffy ro>'f, thence direct to the N.W. 
shore, which will put 3'ou clear of ^Vook•^y's Hippie - 1 

Dead Ripple.— Channel close to the N.W. shore 4 

L'jggstown.— Channel N.W. side tiil you pass the bar 4 

Crow's Island. — Channel N.W. side ciose to the Island _ "-i 

Beaver Creek, comes in on the N.W side. — On a})prcaching this 
creek you must keep on the N.W. side, till you come within sight 
of the raouih of Beaver,thea make to the left hand shore, and keep 
close to it, when vfMi will soon pass the town of M'Intosh 5 

1st Island below M'Intosh.— Channel N.W. side, close to the Island 4 
,S4 Is- raid. —Channel ciose to the N.W. shore 2 

Grape Island. — Channel left hand side, close to the Island 2 

Little Beaver Creek, on the N.W. side, and Mill Creek opposite the 
, town of G'?orgetown ^ 

Custard Island.— Channel on the Virginia side, close to the lower 

point of the Island 4 

Baker's Islr.nd. — Channel on both sides ; the deepest but narrowest 

on the Virtjinia shore 4 

Yellow Creek, N.W. side. — Channel on the N.W. side 1 

Neasley's two Islands. — Channel N VV. side 2 

Tumbleton's Island. — Channel close to the N. shore 1 

Brown's Island. — Channel close to the Virgmia shore for about fifty 

yards, thence directly towards the island , 5 

Steubenville — is pleasantly situated, on the N.W. bank of tlie river 5 
Mingo Bottom Island. — Chamiel N.W side S 

ChaHcston. — The channel past this town is on the Virginia shore. 
Beach Bottom Bar. — Channel on the N.W. side 3 

Short Creek. — A ripgiie just below the mouth of Short Creek — The 
best channel is near Vuginia side •^^ 

Pike Island Channel N.W. shore. Twin Islands, at the lower 

point of the lowermost of them ^ 

Glenn's Run — Channel past both on the N.W. shore 1 

Wljeeling Island. — Channel on the Vnginia shore, at the upper end 
keej) near to the shore, thence across towards the island, lor alwut one 
hundred yards ; when you come ir. sij.'hr of the ne.M vijjple, make 
still more towards the island, and after you pass the ripple, keep 
down near ibc middlebetweeu the ^lore and island, WUeeling, 



Sot APPENDIX. 

Mtles. 
K.W. Just below the town stands an old forf, at the point of land 
formed by the junction of Big Wiieeling Creek and the Ohio 
Kiver . 4i 

llr. Mtihon's Island — Channel at the upper end near the Virginia 

sliore, at the lower end near the island 5 

Sand bar about half a mile above Little Grave Creek. — Channel N. 

VV. side, close to the shore 8 

Big Grave Creek. — Channel N.W. side. — Grave Creek Ripple is 
jiist below the moulh of the creek, channel I-3 breadth of the ri- 
ver from N.\V\ sh.ore 1 
Captinah Island. — Channel Virginia shore, Captinah Creek puts in 

1-2 a mile below on the north west shore 6 

Bakers Station. — Channel Virginia side 2 

i'ish Creek comes in on the Virginia side ; here is an sland.— Chan- 
nel on N.W. side 4 
Sunfish Creek, on the N.W. shore 5 
Oppossum Greek, same shore 3 
Proctor's Run, on the Virginia shore, a sand-bar just below the 

mouth — Channel clo^e to the bar, leaving it to the left 4 

Fishing Creek, Martin's Station. — Virginia shore ; a sand-bar is here. 

—Best channel on the Virginia shore 5 

Upper end of Long Reach 3 

The first island in the reach commences at the upper-end of it, and 

is in length nearly 5 

Second Island 1 

Third Island 3 

Fourth Island ' 2 

Fifth and last Island in the reach little more ihan 1 

The channel past a!l these islands is or the N.W. side. 
Lower end of Long Reach, a sand'bar near the Virginia shore- 
Channel on the N'.W. side 8 
Liule Island. — Chanufl on the N.W. side. Stony creek puts in on 

the N.W. shore, opposite the upper end of this island 2 

Bat 01 Grape Island. — Channel close to the N.W. shore 1 

Middle Island.— iMiddle Inland creek puts in on the Virginia shore, 
opposite the middle of this island, which is two miles in length.— 
Main channel on the N.W. side 8 

French creek, on the Virginia shore " 3 

The first island of the Tiiree Brothers 5 

Seccjiid island of do. nearly 1 

Third island of do. 1 

Channel on the N.W, side of all three, State creek puts in on the 
s:\me side, opposite the second island. There is a larye sand-bar 
one mile and an half below the Brothers— Ciianuci on tiie N.W. 
side. 
Pull crefk, on the Virginia shore 4 

Little Muskinp^uni, on the N.W. shore. 5 

JDewall's Island, near » 1 

Best channel on the Virginia shore. 
Duck creek, N.W. shore, nearly 3 

"Muskingum P.irer g; 



APPENDIX. 355 

MARIETTA, 

The principal town in the Ohio Company's purchase. 

Miles. 
Mile creek on the N.W. shore 1 

Muskiajuin Island. --Chaitnel on the N.W. side, close lo the island SJ 
Second island, a small one.— Channel,Virginia side 4 

Third island, — Channel N.W. side. Congress creek puts in a little 
below it on ihe N.W. side. There is a town and a settlement, 
eight miles below Muskingum, on the Virginia shore, called \ ienna. 
Liltle Kenhaway, Virtjinia shore, opposite to this is the town and up- 
per settlement of Belleprie 2 
Bacc! us's Island and middle settlement of Belleprie— Channel N. 

W. side, close lo the shore. S 

Lower settlement ot" Belie|irie, at the bottom of" the island 3 

Little Hockliockini;, on tlie N.W. shore. — Below this the channel is 

close to the N.W. shore 2 

Newbury Seitlenient and Sand bar. — Channel on the N. W. side 2 

Muslaphy Island X 

Big Hpckhocking. — This is a considerable river, not very long, but 
of a good navigation, on the head of which stands the town of iSevy 
Lancaster, n promising little town, just tnierging from the woods 
Lee's creek, Virgirua shore. Ik-lte-Ville* a town and seil!en>ent on 
the Virginia shore. From Lee's creek lo Belle-Viile, the channel 
is close to the Virginia shore, the other pari of the river being 
rovky S 

Belie-Ville Island.— Channel N.W. side 2 

Pond creek, below the island.— Cluinnel N.W. shore- 2 

Devil's Hole creek, Virginia side. — Channel on the N.W. shore. 
Passing this crec k in high water, it is necessary (o keep prett\' close 
round the leli hand point to avoid the current throwing the boat on 
daiiLjerous rocks that lie in the bend, above and bcluw the mouth 
of the creek 8 

A Sand-l)ar. — Channel on tiie upper- end, near the N.V*'. shore, at 

the lower end, near the nfiddle of the river 1 

Another large Sand-bar in the middle of the river 4 

Amberson's I^land. — The channel is on the Virginia iide, and begins 
in the middle of the river at the upper end of the island, bears to- 
wards the upper house on it, thv^nce run-> close by it (or a liltle 
dislanc?, and ihciicc a^jain takes the middle of the river. — Litile 
Sandy creek, on the Virginia shore, puts in about the middle of 
the island 3 

Big Sandy creek, on the VirtiWiia shore — one mile below this creek ' 
the channel is close round a [)oiiit on the N.W. side, opposite 
which point is a low ledge of rocks, extending^ at least, one mile 
in length, and roaches half across the river ^ 4 

Old Town creek, on the iN.W. shore 5 

Goose Island and Sand bar. — The channel runs near the upper point 
of the island, thence towards live N.W. shore until it passes the 
bar 5 

Mill creek, a large creek on the Virginia shore, Little Mill creek 

comes in about two hundred yards beiow it 1 

Two islands ai)out a half a mile above Letarl's Fall's. — The channel 
past those islands is close lo ibe N.W. shore, thence IcwaiUs l^e 
F f 2 



354 APPENDIX. 

^^oncl island imtil yov. pass it, and thence runs about one third of 
the breadth of he river from the N.W. shore, iiiitii it passt-s the 
Falls, In takuiiT the cliute through the Falls, observe to leave 
oae large rock that lies under water, but makes a great ripple to 
the riglit, and all others to the left. This channel is supposed to 
be about eighty yards from the N.W. shore. There is another 
about forty yards from it, but not sa good. About two miles below 
those fal's there is a Sand-fear on the N.W. side of the river, some 
snags below rhe bar ■ 4 

West creek — Channel near the Virginia shore 4 

A Ripp'e. — Channel near the middle of the river 4 

Sec;>nd Ripple. — Channel N.W. shore ' 1 

Sliding liiil, on the Virginia shore < 1 

Slidnig-Hill creek, same shore 1 

]Vailor's Branch, or the N.W. shore 5 

Leading creek, on the same shore, and a coal bank on the Virginia 

shore, oppo-ite 4 

Ttw Mile creek, on the Virginia shore ; this is tea miles above the 
' Bit! Kenhaway £ 

Eight^ Mile Waild.— Channel N.W. side 2 

Six Mile Islansl. — Channel on the N.W.. side, Cyger's creek on the 

sani.: shore, puts in h ilf a niile below it 2 

Campaign creek, so called from General Louis carrying on a cam- 
paign into the Indian country after the battle of Pojnt Pieaiant £ 
George's creek on tlic N.W. shore i^ 

Great Kenhaway, on the Virginia shore, immediately above th« 

mouth of which stands the (own of Point Pleasant. 
Galliopolis Island. — Channel on the Virginia side, and near to the 
island at the upper end, and near to the main shore at the lower 
end; thence it bends over towards the town of Galliopolis. At 
(lie lower end of the first point below Galliopolis, on the right- 
hand, are a number of snags extending half across the river 3 
Pirst inland below G illiopolis. — .Tlie channel past this island begins 
in the middle of the river, between it and tlie Virginia shore, and 
bears towards the lower point of the island. I'here are rucks and 
snacs in the mddle, opposite the lower end of the island 7 
A creek on the Virginia shore 7 
A creek on the same. — .Shallow in the middle of the river. — Channel 

N.W. shore 3 

A R'.n ort the Virginia shore 1 

A R'ui on the N.W. shore nearly 8 

Little Guiandot, on thr V'irginia shore, nearly 1 

The strait Ripple. — Channel near tlie Virginia shore 5 

A creek on the Virginia shore ; at the mouth of this creek is Green- 
bury botlfun Bar.— Chinnel Viriiinia shore 3 
Guiandot, on f!i:i Virginia shore ; here is a very long, difficult, and 
rocky ripple.— The channel begins near the Virginia shore, above 
the mouhol Guiantiol ; continuei)-\vith it until y<> i comealnv).«t in 
full sight ot the moutli ot it ; then lack across she river at nearly 
right angles, tuitil it reaches near the \. W. shore, when it b^'urs 
towards the middle ol' (he river. The npple contmucs to 3 crock, 
<mc miic b.clow Guiandot ^3 



. /'■ ..APPENDIX, ;•' . " 355 

Ii*3iaa creek, on't^e^.W.'slJIp? ' 3 

Ten Pole Cicekjjtm^the Virginia shore 3 

Twelve J^ole creek, on tlie same shore 3 

Gioat SanJy River, same shore — There is a Sand-bar jnst above 
Sandy ; Uie channel is in the m ddle ot (he river through the bar. 
At Gre.it Sandy, the Staie of Kentucky vomniences, A considera- 
ble seltleme.it is now formed some distance up it. I'here is a 
lar;e ij,iithaif a mile b.ilow Great Sandy, on the Kentucky siiore 4' 
A cieek on the Kentucky shore 4 

A creek on each side of the river . 7, 

A creek on the a . VV. sliore . > . 3-' 

Pei<:usoirs Sand Bar. — A good channel on the N.W. shore,^he water 

fr.nn this bnr to on. mile below l^ittle Sandv, is very slwllow 2 

Littlo Sandy Creek. — Here keep tlie nwddle wt the river. In the N. 
W.. rcrritory, opposite this creek, is the French settjemeut of 
Burrsburg 5 

A creek on the N.W. shore 11 

Little Sciota, on the same shore — A^bar of rocks makes out at Little 
Sciota, and ext. nds half across the river. The cliannel at (he up- 
per end of ilie bar near Kentucky shore— at the lower end close 
round the rocks, fhere is anoiher bar about hall a mile below, 
•xtending more than half across the river. Oppos te to the bar, 
©n the Kentucky shore, the water is shallow, but there is a good 
channel midway between the point of the bar and Kentucky 
shore 1 

Tyger's creek, on the Kentucky shore _ 4 

Big Sciota River, oa the N.W. shore. , Alexandria is situated at the 

naouih of this river 4 

•Chillicoihe about 60 miles up this river 5 

Turkey creek, on the N.W. sliore 7- 

Canocoun.^que creek, on the Kentucky shore— Here is a large Sand- 
bar or Island on the N,W. shore. Tlie chan.iel begins in the 
middle between the island and Kentucky shore, bears a little olF 
from the main shore round a bar at the month of the creek, then 
turns jhort into tbo, Kentucky shore 4,0 avoid the bar of the island 
which reaches nearly acr )ss the river, runs a little way wiih the 
main shor-e, and then again takes the middle ol the nver, the shore, 
being full of rocks and sunk trees. 
Ne\t Sandbar.— Chan.ie! near the Kentucky shore. 
Salt Lick creek, on the Kentucky shore. The best water here in the 
middle of the river, the beach on eac'i side is ver^' rocky, but there 
i? a good landmg in an edds, abjut 400 _yards ab(»ve the nioulh of 
tht creek. In hitrh water the rocks and eddy (orm a whirlpool. 
Just above and on the creek is a town called V'auceville, where 
considerable sult-v^orks are carried on and salt ruade of a good 
quality ^ • 5 

PoiicJ Run, on the Kentucky shore ; and Stout's Run opposite it on 

the N.W. shore S 

Preston or Graham's Station, in what is called Kentucky's Bottom, 

on tlie Kentucky shore; sntne lii uuice above this is Adam'»> Ville,^ vl^ 

the county-town of Ada(u's, N.W. feljjre 4 

Ykfii of the three islaads— Channel close to ihe N.W. shore S 



$56 APPENDIX. 

mus. 

Sycamore creek, on the Kentucky shore. — Channel from this creek 
to the o!her islands, is near the N.W. sliore 2 

Donals -ii's creek, on tlie N.W. shore £ 

Lower end af the three islands. — Channel past the two islaiid^ is on 
the Kentucky shore, midway between it and the islands ; alter you 
pass them, bear towards the lower eiwl of Manchester, to avoid a 
sand-bar that lies on the KentHck3' shore, opposite Isaac's creek, 
which puts in a mile below. Manchester is a thrivinij and pleas- 
antly situated towo, on the bank of the river, just at the boltum of 
ihc three islands, and commands a charming view ot the Uhio 4 

Crooked creek, on the Kentucky shore S 

Cabin creek, same shore 2 

William Brook's, same shore, a sand bar on the N.W. side ; best wa- 
ter near, but not close, to the Kentucky shore 3 

Limestone creek and lown of Maysville,whlch is the oldest and most 
accustomed ianding-place in tlie whole State of Kenlucky. A'r-.he 
navigation is very good below Limestone, there is little need of en- 
tering into a minute detail of the islands, creeks, &c. From thence 
down, with the exceptions already alluded to, boats may at ail 
times pass with ease on either side of the islands, and the current, 
if attended to, will always shew where the swiitest water is. The 
rivers and principal places are noticed, in (-rder to mark the dist- 
ances from place to place, except one island, and that nnt a very 
perceiveable one, opposite Columbia, there is not anotht r until you 
approach within twelve miles of the Kentucky River, a distance 
Irom Limestone, of upwards of one hundred and fifty raiks, where 
you meet with two together 3 

Eagle creek. This is on the N. W, shore, and the first water of any 
couicquence below Limestone. A little above it, on the Kentucky 
shore, is a small town called Charleston ; opposite to which place, 
in the middle of the river, is a large sand-bar, the chainiel past 
which, is on the Kentucky shore , 7 

Bracken creek, on the Kentucky shore, and gives name to the county 
through which it runs : The county town is ti\ed at the mouih of 
it, on an extensive bottom and very handsome situation ; it is, a3 
yei, small, being very recently laid out — Augusta is the name 
given it 11 

Little Miami, onthe N.W. shore, just below thejunction of this stream 
with the Oiho, is the town of Columbia 48 

lacking River, Kentucky shore. A large s'reani, and navigable a 
considerable way up it. The town of Newport is situated at the 
point formed by the junction of this river with theO.'iio 5 

Cmciunali. — Which town is op[)osite the mouth of Licking, on the 
N.W. shore. 

Miami river, IV.W. shore. — This is a fine river ; its navigation, as 
well as that of Sciota and Mii>kingum, approaching very near to 
the navigable waters of the lakes 21 

Big-Bouc Lick 38 

Kentucky River. - This river gives name to the State it inter.srcts ; 
(lows in innumerable mtauderinLS, through, perhaps, the most ex- 
tensive bod^' of good land in the world, li is navigable for load- 
ed boats, during a considerable part of the year, for upwards of a 



APPENDIX, 337 

MiUs, 
fenndred and fifty miles. There is a town on one side of the mouth, 
called Williaiiisport, and another.on the other side, both of them 
small at present, but they have a good prospect of deriving, «t a 
future day, considerable importance from the growing navigation of 
the Kentucky 44 

The Falls of Ohio.— The rapids situated in 38 degrees 8 minutes N. 
latitude, and are occasioned by a ledge of rocks which extend quite 
across the river 77 

The Town of Louisville.— As the rapids, is situated on Bear-grass 
creek, on a high and level bank of the Ohio, about two hundred 
poles above the commencement of the rapid descent of the water. 

Salt River, enters on Kentucky shore 25 

Blue River, on N.W. shore — Immediately above the mouth of this 
river are two islands. — Channel past the first ou the Kentuckj 
side, past the second on N.W. side 67 

A River, below Blue River, N.W. side, about 20 

Harden's creek, Kentucky shore 10 

Yellovv-Baiik Creek. — About three miles above this creek are two 
islands. — Cliannel, Kentucky side ; four miles below are two isl- 
ands, five miles below are two more islands, keep S. side. Between 
Harden's creek and Yellow-Bank creek, the low-lands commence. 
The hilis which hii^her up the river are uniformly to be met with; 
either on one side or the other, now entirely disappear ; and there 
is nothing to be seen on either hand, but an extensive level country 60 

Green River, a large water of Kentucky, one mile below is an island j 
keep Kentucky side Sp-- 

Red Bank. — At this place, which is included in Henderson's grant of 
two hundred thousand acres, a town is laid otf, called Henderson 

' — Owiuj, to a remarkable bend in the river, though the distance 
from the mouth of Green River to this place by water is twenty five 
miles, by land it is called eight. Two, below Henderson is an inland 
—Channel N.W, .Mde ; a large bar extends above the head of ihis 
island, the cliaunel, after you clear this bar, is near the island, to 
avoi.l H bar which j»ut8 out from the t'hore to your right, extending 
a considerable distance down the river §5 

Diamond Island. — This island contains several thousand acres of ex- 
cellent land. About twenty-seven miles below this, and eighteen 
above the month of Wabash, are two islands near together, the 
passdije by which is dangerous at low water. — Channel is on the N. 
W. side ')f the upper one, and then takes through between it and 
(he other island 15 

Wabash River, enters on the N.W. side. This is one of the most 
considerable rivers between Pilt>hurg and the mouth of Ohio, is 
four hundred yards across it^ mouth, and interlocks with liie waters 
tributary to the lakes 4.5 

Saline, a Salt creek, N W. side 18 

TlieCave in Rock, N.W. side. — This cavern presents itself to view 
a little above the level ol the waier when hiyh, and close to the 
bank of the river, a fttle darkened by the shade of some treea 
standing before its mouth 4 

A creek, Kentucky side 18 

Trade water, Kentucky $id« 16 



35S APPENDIX, 

Cumberland River, Kentucky side ; opposite the raouth of this river 
is an island.— Channel N.W. side. Cumberland rises in mountains 
of the same name, navigable ap to jMashville, in Tena'see 39 

Tenassee River. This is fhe largest river that empties into the Oliio- " 
is navigable as Jar as the mascle .vliuals, which are about two hund- 
red and filty miles ironi its moulh, above these, it is again navigable 
near the same distance 11 

Port Massack. About six miles below this is the head of a big sand- 
bar in (he middle of the river, channel N.W. side IS 

Little Chain of Rocks 2 

WilkinsonviJle, formerly called Cedar Bluffs. — Channel three-fourths 
over froni N.W. shore 9 

Big Ciiain of Rocks. This is a bid of rocks running across the river 
in a direct line.— Channel three-fourths o'ver from N.W. shore until 
you are past the two last rocks in tlie middle of the river, thence 
to the N.W. shore to avoid a sand-bar just below 4s 

Gassavvay creek and Island. — Channel on the N.W. side, about half- 
way between the island and shore; about one mile above this 
island keep in the middle of the river, until witiiin a smsil diitaaca 
of its point 7 

Moulh oi Ohio 7 



MISSISSIPPI. 

I now cominence tit;; navigaiion of the IMississInihi. from tKe Tnbiith of 
Oino downward, taking notice of the Rivers, Creeks, Bayeaus, 
Forts. Towns, Settlements, &c. the Islands, Sand-Bars and the 
channel of the River, from the latter river to the oily of New-Or- 
leans, thenee to the raouth of the former. 

I have distinguished the principal Islands by numbers. 

Island No. 1, below the raouth of Ohio. It lies close to the S. side 
of the River, but must be passed on the N. side. Fort Jefferson 
stands at the- mouth of INIayiield creek, opposite the island, S. side i 

Kos. 2, 3, 4, these arc pretty close together ; raa^ pass on either side 
in high water, in low N. side 10 

Iron Banks ; lirst bluff, South side, keep close to the banks until vou 
are past 2 

Wolf Island, No. !y, this is a large island, and at the upper end a 
sand-bar extends towards the S. shore, must hutr S. sliore in low 
water ; when high, the bar can be passed over without danger, S. 
side of this island is three miles nearcsi, pass on either 2 

Chalk Banks, are opposite Wolf Island, and two miles below, a sand- 
bar extends two hundred yards from South shore, at low water 
keep to tlie North, oc right of the bar. 

Island N. 6, lies nearest tiie North side. — Channel S. side, Bayeau 
de She is opposite No. 6 4 

No. 7, is a willow island,— Channel South side, and No. 8, begins 
immediately bt.l.)w No. 7, in low water.— Channel North side, may 
go either in high or low 4 

No. 9, lies ou S. side. North cbaaael Vest ) and about three m'lies bc" 



APPENDIX. 305 

Milrs. 
Uv is No. 10, nearest S. sliore, here the river turns to the right, 
and a bar puis out from North side. — Chauiiel close to South side, 
until yovL are near the upper point ot the island, thence to the 
North side, between it and the bar Ai 

Kevv Madrid, or Lance le Grass, West side 12 

l^'o. 1 1, lies on the North side, passit on the S. ,4 

No. 12, is close on the South side, pass it on North, three miles down 
is a sand-bar. — Channel good on either side ft 

No. IS, near South side ; passit on the North ; immediately below 
is No. 14, on North sidei and Jiere is a cluster of small willow isl- 
ands ; pass on the South 6 

No. 16, on South side, pass it oh the North ; just below this, is a 
small settlement 5 

No. 16, North side, and on the South is No. I7, pass both on the 
South when the water is. low. No. 18, is near two n)iles below, ou 
the North side. No. 19, is nearly' opposite on South side — best 
channel between them. No. ^'), is a little below, pass it on the 
'North. No. 21, is nearl}' opposite lower point of No. 20, pass 
North side m low water. Nos. 22, '23, 24, are all in sight of each 
other, and just below No. 21, pass No, 24, on North side, a Uttle 
below tlic last island 5 

A Bayean sixty yards wide makes its appearance, just below is a 
cluster of small islands : pass on the S. 40 

N 0. 25, is in the middle of the river, which is straight for several miles 
down 8 

No. 26, 27, pass both on North side 5 

!No. 28, pass on South side, No. 29, pass on North siale, No. 30, pass 

on North side, No. 31, channel good on either side, No. 32, is two 

Tuiles below, close to the North shore ; pass it on the South shore. 

■Island No. 33, in llie middle of the river ; may pass ou either side, 

river winds to the light. 
'^^Chickasaw Bluff, Upper, South side ; commence just below. No. 33, 
keep close to the Bluff i 

No. 34, middle of river, pass on either side ; close by are two small 
islands, pass on South side 3 

Chickasaw Bluff, second, South side ; the river turns to the right, 
keep pretty close lo the bluff', after you pass it, pull over to the 
South shore, and pass No. 35, three jniles below the bluff', on the 
South side : in very low water, however. North channel is deepest. 
No. 36, is near North shore, channel crooked, narrow, and full. of 
iawyers ; keep a good look out, and with timely exertion, you can 
pass without danger 6 

Chickasaw BlulF, third, S. side, and Fort, may keep close to the bluff, 
river narrow, and winds to the right 11 

No. 37, is two miles below ; best channel South side ; here »ire some 
outlets, keep pretlv close to No. 37, when lugh water. 

No. 38, is five miies below, near South shove. 

'Ko. 39, is a little above, near North shore, best channel between 
! tlicm, tliose two islands lie in a large bend of the river. 

No. 40, is three miles below, nearest South shore ; pass it on the 

it North side. 

One mile below is No. 41, it re a small willow LlAini ; bfst cJiaimel 
SoiUh hide. 



350 APPENDIX. 

Mm 

About three and a half miles below are four islands. Nos. 4?, 43, 
44, 45 5 befct channel between the two Jjing nearest the North 
shore, leaving the first to the left. 

Wolf River, S. side, one mile below four islands. Fort Pickering is 
• contigious to, and below tlffe' mouth of this river, and about two 
miles below Pickering, is another fort, erected bj Capt. Pike 1( 

Opposite the mouth of Wolf River, is an old Spanish garrison. 

Half a mile below Capt. Pike's post, is No. 46, nearest South shore, 
S. passage best. 

l\o 4.-J, is nearly opposite, on North side, in high water may pass 
between them, in low take North passage of both. 

Nos. 48, 49, are in sight. North passage of both is best. 

N. 50, two miles, South passage ; a sand-bar two and a half milesj 
middle of river. Souili side.in low water. 

lS"o. 51, two miles, middle of river, is large ; pass it on either side. 

No. 52, four and a half miles. North shore ; pass on S. side ; between 
the two last is a small one, which pass on the North. 

No, 53, or Council Island, one and a half miles ; river turns to the 
left. — Channel good on either side, S. much nearer. 

No. 54, is five and a half miles, nearest South shore, North passage 
best. 

No. 55, is just below. North sjde ; South channel safest. 

No. 56, is two and a half miles, near S. shore, and has an appear- 
ance of three. islands connected ; take North channel. 

No. 57, three miles, and just below it is 

No. 58, North passage of both is best. 

No. 59, in middle of river, four miles ; pass on either side, here St. 
Francis River enters on >.orlh side, and is about three hundred 
yards wide at its mouth, and navigable for two hundred miles up- 
wards. About four miles below is a handsome prairie. 

No. 60, two miles, middle of river. — Channel good on either tide ; 
in very low water, South side safest. 

No. 61, twenty miles, close to S. shore. North channel best, a willow 
island on each side. 

No. 62, two hundred and twelve miles, close to North .shore, some 
cotton wood on it. 

No. 63, is a little below, ncnr middle of River, is large, either side 
good, between them nearest, and generally preferred j here th« 
river is very wide, extending either way. 

No. 64, four miles, near North side. South passage best. 

No. 65, is three and a half miles, on North side, in a bend, South 
channel best ; from here a little island is seen rather above No. 6b. 

No. 66, is three and a half miles below, lies on North shore, is large, 
full of cotton wood and willows ; on the South are seen more small 
islands, wliich are covere<i with drift-wo©d, pass all those on South 
channel. 
Nos. 67, 68, are six miles, these may be called the Two Brothers, 
Ihey stand opposite each other, the cue on the North, the oilicr on 
the'South side of river, in low water N. passage best, when water 
is high, may go b(!tween them. ; 

No. 69, i- three miles, small on N. side, S. passage at sll tiroes. 
Ni». 7O, is lour attd a half miles, on S. shore, sniaU, tyic N^ passage 



A!>PENDlX. b€i 

II Miles, 

No. ^1, Is large, just below, near N. side ; S. channel safest. About 
five miles a creek enters from N. side, 

No. 72, is about five miles below the month of the creek, lying close 
to North side, passage on South side, opposite No. yg. 

White River, N. side, below St. Francis, and opposite upper end of 
No. 7^ ^ 128 

At the mouth of the fiver is a good landing, boats may moore m safe- 
ty. This river is navigable two hundred miles up, winds through 
a fertile and delightful country ; it is about thirty-five miles from 
the mouth of the river to the post of Ozark, on the Arkansas river. 

The best and nearest foute is to go up White River about four miles* 
then across to the Arkansas, and keep up it about thirty miles, 
when you arrive at the Ozark Village ; this route is nearer by six.- 

• teen miles than that up the Arkansas. 

No. 73, h four miles below White River, lies close to North shore, 
pass it on the S. 

No. 74, 6 & 1-2 miles, a large willow island close to North shore ; 
in high water it is cut into several small ones, take S. passage. 
From White River to tlie mouth of the Arkansas, North side •. 20 

This river is said to be navigable about eight hundred njiles up, and 
is culled by some, Ozark River. 

No. 7.5, is four miles below the Arkansas.— -Best channel North sude. 

No. 76, ten miles below it, is large, middle of river.— Channel good 
on both sides ; you see a small island close to North shore, pass it 
on the South, and lour miles below the river is very wide, a sand- 
bar appears in a very low state of the water, may pass on either 
side. , ^ 

No. 77, is large, seven miles below, close to South shore.— N. chan- 
nel best, river turns to the left, opposite the island is a cypress 
,bend on North side. 

No. 78, is four miles, close to North shore, take S. passage. North ik 
closed up. 

No. 79, about a mile, is large, and .to the North you will see fouc 
small islands* pass between them and No. 79, or otherwise South 
of 79, leaving a small island to your left, lying close to the South 

J shore. 

Ko. 60, is large] four tniles, lies cld^e to North shore j a little belov? 
it on S. side is No. 81, — pass both on S. side. 

No, 82, is nine miles. North side ; South channel best. 

No. 83, about nine miles, is large, in a bend, river winds to the right * 
tal' North channel. 

No, 84, is 4 & 1-2 miles. South shore ; North passage best. 

No. 85, about eleven miles, lies close to North shore, oii a point, is 
covered with willows ; South channel best. 

No^ 86, and 87, are seven miles, middle of rivt^ ; either side of 
these channels is good — don't go between them. 

No. 88, is two miles below, on South shore, is large ; North <;hannel 

, best. 

No. 89, about five miles further down. — Channel S. sid^. 

About 1 & 1-2 mile below No. 89, and 90, below Ozark, is Grand 
Lake, North side ; this was formerly the bed of the river, cow 
filled with willow trees. 



,m APPENDIX; 

>Seary's Island, which we will call No. 90, is on the South side, in the 
old bed of the river, pass it .on the North, the present channel. 

No. 91, near five miles, near the middle of the river. — Channel safe 
either side. 

No. 92, about .seven miles, is large, nearest North shtjre. — In low 
water, South channel best. 
'Ko. 93, is four miles, when water is high, eiiher side will do, when 
low, South best — Here the river is straight for several miles, and 
has a beautiful appearance. 

No, 94, about seven miles below, is small, middle of river.— Either 
channel good t)y kt^ping close to the bank of the river. 

No. 95, is 6 & 1-2 miles, on North side. — South channel best ; there 
is a small island close to 95, on the South, pass it on the South. 

No. 96, is nine miles below, lies near South shore, leave it to the leff. 

No. 97, two miles. South side ; North passage best. — ^This island ap- 
pears as if divided in Uvo. 

No. 98, is about seven miles, is large, middle of river ; may pass on 
either side. 

No, 99, lies nearly opposite No. 98, on Nojth shore; go between 
them. 

"No. 100, about fourteen miles, is large, full of cotton wooB, neai: 
Nprll) shore ; South channel safest. 

No. 101, is four miles. South shore, and nearly opposite is 

No. 102, North passage is said to be the safest in low water 

No. 103, about eleven miles. North shore j North channel goodi 

Four miles below enters the 

Yazous River, South side. — This is a handsome river; rises in the 
country of the Chickasaws,ruiv> through the State of Georgia, and 
jails into the Miss-issippi in aS.ty W. direction ; computed to be 
four hundred miles above New Orleans ; and is navigable one 
hundred miles upwards. The lands on this river are famous for 
having been the object of a deep speculation of the Legislature of 
the State of Geogja ; who passed a law for the sale of large bodies 
of those lands, on principles, which were proved to the satisfaction 
of the following legislature, the most unprecedented, and villain- 
ous ; and who, to shew their pointed disapprobation, enacted. 
That the said law is null, void and of no etFect ; and that all re- 
cords relating thereto, be consumed by fire 9S 

Thirteen miles below are the Walnut Hills, and Fort M 'Henry. — 

The Fort is on a beautiful eminence, on the South side of the river, 
commanding a handsome view of it, and the adjacent country for 
several miles around 1-f 

No. 104, is eleven miles below the Walnut Hills, South shore, pass 
it on the North. 

No. 105, four miles, near North shore.— Chartnel South side. 

No. 106, is about four miles, is large, lies nearest South shore ; may 
pa6S on either side. 

No. IO7, two miles, near middle of river; chher channel good. 

No. 108, two miles, near South shore ; North passage preferred at j 
low water. 

No. 109, three miles, is small, cbse to South shore ; N. passage best | 
iSt all times. 

Nov 110, sevea miles, is large, near North side ; in low water Soutb 



APPENDIX. S6S 

ehannel best. 

Six miles below. Big Black Creek enters from South side. 

Grand Gulf, river very wide "1 

Bateau Pierre, — the residence of Col. Bruin is a short distance be- 
low, on South side. 

Petite Gulf a 

No. 113, is about 1 & 1-2 mile, is large, close to North shore ; South 
channel best. 

No, 112, is seven miles below, lies in abend, on North side ; and 
opposite it, on South side is 

No. 1 13 ; this is a large island ; in low water the channel between 
them is ^a(est. About six miles. 

Cole's Creek, empties on South side 15 

No. 114, about nine miles, nearest South shore ; pass in the North 
channel. About 13 miles below you see the city of Natchez, in 
the Mississippi territory 22 . 

Island 115, is about seven miles below Natchez ; it is large nearthe 
middle of the river ; in high water either side may be passed, 
■when low take the West passage. About ten miles below No. 115. ■. 

St, Catharine Creek enters on the East side ^^' 

White Cliffs, East side. . 1 

About SIX miles below tliese are Nos. 116 and ll7, between which 
you may pass in h.gh water, but in low take the East side. 

No. 118, is near twelve mtles lower down, lying near the West shore, 
13 but small ; take the East passage. 

Homochitto, 2 6c 1-2 miles below No. 118. This river empties in from 
the East side, is but small. 

Buffaloe Creek, East side 10 

Loftus's Heights and Fort Adams, East side. A few troops are kept 
here by the United States 4 

Line of Demarkation between the United States and Spain, in lat. 
31, N. 5 

Tied River, or Riviere Rouge, West side 1(). 

ChalFalio, an outlet or bayeau. This current runs out on the West 
side, in a considerable bend of the river ; to avoid being sucked, 
into it you must keep near the mid ile of the river 5 

Islands, Nos. 119 and 120, are about ciglit miles below ; one to the 
ri^ht, the other to the left ; may go between them in high water, 
but in low take the East side of both ; vou will see No. 121 lying 
close to the West shore, and these threa islands are frequently call- 
ed the Three Sisters. 

Bayeau Tunica, below ChalTalio. On this ctr^am are considerable 
settlements, cotton farms, &c. 45 

AboTit SIX miles below, is island, No. 122, near the middle of the 
river ; may pass on either side. 

Tunica Villages, East side. — A little abj?ye these villages the river 
forms almost a complete circle, leaving a liarrow peninsula of a- 
bout o-ie mile and a half across, which if cut through, a distance 
of nearly thirty miles would be saved 10 

Pointe Coupee Church. West side 1% 

Bayeau Sara, the stream is on the East side ; and about nine miles up 
% is a fm.e settlement, in whiyh resides David Bradford, Esq. 



5^4 APPENDIX. 

JVfi/cs, 
formerly of Washington 15 

Opposite Bayeau Sara, is island No. 123. — Channel East side. 
Pointe Coupee, or Point Cut-off, West side. — Some Canadian trad- 
ers, a few years sirijce, cut through a neck of land, by which the 
distance was shortened about forty-five miles. The old bed is now 
called Fausse Riviere, and on which is a considerable settlement 5 
Thompson's Creek, East side, — On this creek are fine cotton planta- 
tions, whose soil is remarkably rich 3 
Chffs, — and about tour miles below these, are ' 52, 
^os. V24i snd 125, which are larjje, and near the middle of the river, 

the one a little below the other. East side. 
Baton Rouge, below the Cliffs '28 

Bayeau Manhae, East side 15 

Bayeau Plaqueraine, this outlet is large, and runs out from the West 

side ■ a 

;^Ianhae Church, East bank of the liver 10 

Baylay's, a noted cotton planter. West side 4 

About seven miles below Baylay's, is island No. 126, lying nearest 

Westshore.— Channel East side. 
Bayeau de la Fourche, West side 9 

i)e la Fourche Gharch, same side 1 

Arnold's, a noted sugar pUntpr 5 

Baronge's, another noted sugar planter. East side, whose seat is said 

to be the handsomest on the river " 6 

Contrelle Church, West side • 5 

Bona Cara Church, West side 18 

3Red Church, East side 18 

Torteus's a sugar planter. East sid^ 15 

The Orange Grove, East side 12 

Ciiy of New Orleans, East side "3 

English Bend, below New Orleans • I7 

Fort Placquemines 48 

From thence to the Passes of the Mississippi, is about 24: 

Here the river branches out in three parts, which are called the 

Passes. 
Mouths of the Mississipi 19 

Note. — The navigator will observe, that from below Natchez, we have 
called the left hand side of the river, in descending, the East side, and 
the right the West,— -The course of the livcr from Natchez, downwards 
is generally ^ S. E. direction ; thus, the side that we have hitherto 
called the South, now becomes nearly the N. E. 

Boats des'ined for the Mississippi, should, as I observed in tlie intro- 
duction to the Ohio navigation, in every respect be stronger and better 
roofed than those intended for the Ohio only ;— the Mississippi being of 
much heavier and stronger current, and presenting by far the most ob- 
stacles and dangers in the way of the boat. 
The most imminent of those dangers, are^ 
First. The instability of the banks. 

Second. Current, rushing out of the river in a state of its high 
^arater ; — and 

Third. Planters, sawyers, and wooden islands, 

"We shall endeavour to instruct the unexperienced navigator hov/ to 



APPENDIX. 3<>5 

avoid tkc^ra. the instability of the banks proceeds from their being, 
composed of a loose sandy soil ; and (he impetuosity of the currcut 
against their prominent parts (points) which, by undermniing thcni un- 
ceasingly, causes them to tumble into the river, taking with llicm every 
thing that m&y be above. And if, when llie event happciis, boats should 
be moored there, they must necessarily be buried in the comniou ruin, 
which unforninately has been several times the case. 

For which reason, navigators have made it an inTariable rule never to 
land at or near a point, but always in the sinuosity or cave below it, 
which is generally lined with small willows, oi tlie weeping species, 
whence some call "ihem, although improperly, willow points ; and which, 
beini; generally clear of logs and planters, the landing is easily eftected, 
by running directly into them, the resistance of the willows destroying a 
part of the boat's Velocity, and the rest is overcome without much exer- 
tion, by holding fast to the limbs which surround you. 

The banks of this river, liom where it receives the Messauri to its 
ninuth, being, with a lew exceptions, below high water mark, an immense 
country is inundated, when the river is in its highest state, by which 
those extensive swamps are formed and supplied, that prove the nurse- 
ries of myriads of mus(>iel<jes and other insects (to lio small inconven- 
ience of tlie traveller^ and the never tailing source ol grievous diseases 
to the inhabitants. There are also streams, which ai all times sally forth 
from the main river with astonishing rapidity, and whose vortex extends 
some distance into the stream. Boats once sucked into such a bayeau 
are iiext to lost, it being almost impossible to tbrce so unwit Idly a niii- 
chine, as a flat biittomed boat, against so powerful a CTirrent. It will, 
therefore, be safest for boats never to keej) too close to the shore, but to 
kceji some distance out in the river. To avoid planters and sawyers 
requires nothing more than attention, for they always occasion a small 
breaker wherever ihey are, and if your boat seems to be hurried towards 
,fhem, you must, the moment you perceive tlrem, row the boai from them, 
else if you be dilatory you must abide by the consequence. 

Wooden islands are more dangerous than i^al ones, lound along litnft 
ago — the lormer oeing an obstacle lately thrown in the \j'ay of the cur- 
vent, and the bed of the river not having luid sufficient time to lorm that 
bar or gradual ascent from the bottom of the river to the island, which 
divides the current at some distance from the point ol the island above 
water, the current will hurry ^((ii against them, unless you use timely 
exertions ; from ail this, it must be evident, how imprudent it is attomp- 
ing to go in the night, even when assiaed by a clear moon ; but after 
you are once arrived at Naicliez, you may safely proceed day and ni"ht, 
the river from that place to its mouth being clear, and opposing nothing 
to your progress, but a few eddies, into which you may occasionally be 
drawn and detained tor a short time. 

- Planters arc large bodies of trees firmly fixed by their roots in the 
bottom of the river, in a per|)€ndicular manner, and appawirig no more 
than about a loot above the surface of the water in its middl-n-r slat- • 
so firmly are they rooted, that the largeM boat running againn tl^em w'il! 
Hot move them, but they frequently in;ure the boat. 

Sawyers are likewise bodies ot iVees fixed less perpendicularly in f:iie 
mer, and rather ot a less size,yieldmg lo the pressure ol the current 
disappearing and appealing by turns above water, similar to the malion- 
Tl a ^P->Y-m]ll saw, Irotn \vhich Ihey have taken their uarae. 



see - APPENDIX. 

Wooden Islands, are places, wlicre, bj some cause or other, largc^ 
{quantities of driit wood, have, throujih time, been arrested and matted 
togeU'er in different parts of the river. 

In those places the river generally deposits the surplus of soil, with 
which it n. charged from the contnuial carryings of the points, and so 
forms new land on one side by destro^'ing some on the other. 

On comparing the American <.:otton- wood tree, (which grows in large 
quantities on the banks of (his river) with the Lombardy Poplar, they 
have been found to be the same, although some doubt thei' identity. 

In the Mississippi, from below ihe mouih of the Ohio, there are up- 
wards of three hundred islands, all ot which arc easily avoided; b^ 
keeping a geod look out. 



THE END. 






a 



